Full Circle
by zorcha
Summary: A continuation of Jericho after Season One and Why We Fight.  This is a Jake Heather centric story but has most of the cast
1. Chapter 1

This story writes the history of Jericho after Season One if I had the chance to. It's going to be long. Consider yourself forewarned. But it will deliver well in the end, I promise you. This is a Jake/Heather centric story but does have some of the other cast in it, and I do touch on the bombs and those responsible for them.

This takes place after "Why We Fight". In my universe, the battle with New Bern took place in the early spring, with Heather and the ten men from Jericho being gone for several months.

* * *

Full Circle, Chapter One

The private had spent the past hour unloading supplies from all three choppers that had arrived from Camp Liberty. It was cold this morning, requiring the use of his gloves as he used a hand truck to cart goods into the various tents. His military unit was setting up a small base camp along the state road outside of Jericho, Kansas, one where their forces could patrol the local roads and maintain the peace. Today's cold snap didn't bother him as much as the patrols did, seeing hometowns much like the one he had grown up in turning into wastelands of crime and unrest. They had just broken up a major skirmish between the town of Jericho and a neighboring city. This was America, not some third world country.

He started unloading the last helicopter and removed the second row of netting holding the crates in place.. A small movement in the back caught his eye and he looked twice wondering if he had just imagined it. Setting aside his hand truck, his removed his sidearm from his hip holster and unlocked the safety. Grabbing his small mag light from his belt, he clicked it on and flashed the beam toward the back of the small cargo area. The light caught another glimpse of motion and he heard a scratching sound.

Moving slowly, he backed down the ramp outside, holding his gun aimed at the inside of the chopper cargo hold. "This is Private Simpson requesting backup at chopper 449," he called into his walkie talkie.

A minute later, a full squad arrived and surrounded the military helicopter, aiming their rifles and several flash lights at the open door. He filled in the commanding officer on duty, Sergeant Walker.

"Whoever is in there, come out with your hands up!" The sergeant called out. Several large flash lights lit up the interior cabin but their beams did not have the correct angle to reach into the back of the cargo hold. 

There was a slight movement inside and a cough. A shadow moved.

"Drop any weapons, put your hands on your head and walk outside slowly." Sergeant Walker ordered. Soft clicks broke the silence as safety switches were flipped, arming the rifles the squad aimed at the opened doorway.

Private Simpson held his sidearm ready to back up his comrades. In this day and age, it could be anyone trying to get aboard their vehicles. Local rebels often tried to steal supplies or weapons. Every now and then, a refugee would attempt to sneak into their camps. Not many were usually successful, however. He considered that someone could have gotten by the outpost security and hid in the helicopter while he was transporting goods into the command post tent. Security was a top priority but he may have been lapse in paying attention. He found it hard to believe that someone had gotten aboard in Camp Liberty. They would have been outside in the cold for several hours by now. The chopper cargo holds were not heated.

Slowly, a blinking figure stepped into the light. Pale skin, white shirt, blue pants-an outfit that looked like something from the medical tent. Shoulder-length brown hair. It was a woman.

* * *

The spring morning had dawned cold and bitter, nothing like the recent respite of warming weather. It was a frigid reminder that winter was barely over. Clouds filled the skies hiding the rising sun and a brisk wind blew, making it seem even colder. The townsfolk of Jericho had risen at dawn and walked up the hill to the cemetery overlooking the town. Though it had been a long walk to make without the use of vehicles, it seemed like the entire town of Jericho had come out for the funeral of former Mayor Johnston Green.

Jake Green stood by his mother and brother beside the raised platform holding the coffin of his father. He hated the formality of the suit and tie he wore, but he knew how much it meant to his mother to have as much normalcy on this day as possible. The whole town, despite the cold weather, was dressed in their Sunday's best beneath winter coats.

Several people spoke during the brief ceremony, including Major Gray Anderson and Deputy Jimmy Taylor. It felt awkward to hear so much praise about his father; to know that the life of his father had been shared by so many. He could just imagine the humble expression of his father, looking down from heaven now and seeing the many people he had influenced by his long life as mayor, leader and friend to so many in Jericho.

Jake glanced about the crowd. Stanley, Mimi, and Bonnie stood together, and even Robert Hawkins and his family had come. Dale, Skylar Stevens and many of the younger generation were also here. They were the children, parents, and grandparents of Jericho. Johnston Green had been mayor of Jericho for three decades and his father before him. And now he was gone, killed in the battle with New Bern. Grief washed over Jake anew and he remembered his father's dying words. 'I'm proud of you.' Those were words he never expected to ever hear from his father. And now he was gone.

Reverend Thomas finished his eulogy and asked for everyone to bow their heads in prayer. A low rumble of motors echoed in the distance. Once not long ago, the sound of an approaching vehicle would not have been given a second thought, but in this post-apocalyptic age when you could not tell friend from foe, most residents were learning to distrust the strange sound of loud vehicles and several people looked off into the distance.

A hushed murmur echoed throughout the crowd and Jake followed the curious glances to where two military vehicles were climbing up the hill toward the cemetery. He assumed they were from the military that had just arrived, the ones that had stopped the fighting. They had started establishing an outpost outside of town. Couldn't they leave them alone right now? He felt the heaviness of the loss of his father weighing down his shoulders and in every breath he took. The empty numbness resonated in his chest and his head still pounded as he recalled the horror of watching his father die. The lack of sleep, the weariness of battle and stress were all paying a heavy toll on his body and spirit.

Not to be stopped, the reverend called for prayer again and began a solemn prayer of remembrance for lost loved ones and for the mighty Johnston Green who had been called home to be with the Lord.

How many months ago had it been since he was here to see his grandfather's grave? That was the day that everything changed and gone to hell. His mom had been here with him. They had been here not long ago for a small private ceremony for April. And now, another funeral, another tragic loss in his family.

His eyes closed, Jake squeezed his mother's hand in his, offering what comfort that he could. Her hand was cold, making him wish they had brought gloves. She was dressed in a beautiful suit, one that matched the color of her eyes, but not well suited for cold weather. In her other hand, she held the carefully folded U.S. flag the former military members of the town had given her. Since there was no real Department of Defense to ask for a military funeral, Jericho had made its own with many of the town's veterans dressing in uniform to honor his father's military service.

"Amen," the reverend said loudly and voices around him echoed amens in response. Jake realized he hadn't heard a word of the prayer itself, but had definitely felt the sentiment. Looking up, he felt tears filling his eyes again. It was the end of an era in this small town and in his life. His father was gone. The ache in his heart permeated throughout his body, combined with the cold of the morning. He still wasn't sure he could face the reality of what had happened. He wanted to go home and go to bed, to then wake up and discover that all of this this had been a bad nightmare.

Most of the crowd left the grave site and began the long walk back to town. Fuel was still in too short supply that even the funeral for their best, former Mayor Johnston Green, couldn't warrant the use. His mother had insisted. A horse drawn wagon, just like a real military caisson, had drawn the flag covered coffin up to the cemetery with most of the town following it. The horse and wagon were already on their way back to town.

Now, only the Greens, Mary, Emily, Gray Anderson, and the deputies Jimmy and Bill remained at the grave, as if unwilling to say their final goodbyes. Gail Green, looking older than Jake had ever remembered her seeming, stepped forward to lay a beautiful bouquet of silk flowers on the coffin and gave it a long, loving caress. Tears streamed down her cheeks. His parents had had one of the best marriages ever; rock solid, filled with love, understanding, patience and respect. He knew his mother was overwhelmed with grief.

Jake glanced at Eric, following his brother's gaze to the nearby grave of April. He knew the anguish on his brother's face mirrored his own. Too many deaths had hit his family this year… had hit this town. He clenched his hands into fists. People he had grown up with and known all his life had died in the past months. Old friends and new they had lost. The lack of power and food, the long winter, crime, and now war were slowly wearing down the town. He remembered seeing many of the same faces several nights ago when they had passed guns out to every able-bodied person, when they all had looked so innocent, not ready for the realities of war. But now, only weariness, shock and grief remained. He had seen the same look in the eyes of the local residents abroad in war torn lands. Hard times did that to people. He just never imagined it happening in his own hometown.

"It's time to go, Mom," he heard Eric say softly. He heard the emotion in his brother's voice and he nearly broke down himself again. Fighting back tears, he felt a soft hand take his. Emily leaned gently against him, lending him her support. He gave her a brief glance of gratitude.

Eric put an arm around the shoulders of Gail Green and pulled her back a step. Men removed the wooden platform beneath the coffin and began lowering it into the ground. Jake stepped up next to Gail and put his arm around her from the other side. His mother seemed so small and fragile. And cold, he noticed as he felt her shiver. They needed to get back to town to warm up.

"Can I help you?" He heard Gray Anderson in the distance. He had almost forgotten about the military trucks and saw that a small crowd of people had stopped to watch the military drive up. For once, Jake was glad to have the new mayor around to handle things as he had been doing in the past couple of days while his family dealt with his father's death. Jake didn't want to deal with town matters, not now, but he knew that would change soon. People kept looking at him expecting him to tell them what to do, especially now that his father was gone.

"We're here to see-" and Jake didn't hear the rest. It was muffled by the sounds of shovels digging into the dirt in front of them. His father's grave was near those of Jake's grandfather and grandmother. He tried to think of them together now in heaven. It was a small family plot and he tried to not think of the space next to his father, reserved for his mother. He sighed back a sob, not wanting to break down again.

"I'm the mayor of Jericho, I can help you on-" Gray sounded angry.

"This is personal business," a voice replied.

Silently, the Green trio left the grave and began making their way back toward the road with Mary and Emily walking beside them. Jake noticed that Robert Hawkins had already disappeared down the road with his family. Hawkins had been suspicious of the military from the time they arrived to break up the conflict, but Jake hadn't had the chance to talk to him about it.

"Jake Green?" The same voice called out and Jake looked up. The owner of the voice belonged to a face he vaguely recognized from his visit to the nearby military outpost when they had brought him in to give his statement.

"Yes?" He felt the curious stares of everyone around him.

"We need you to come with us, please." The name label on the man's uniform read Lt. Williams. The officer stared at him with a steady stare that he knew well-the look of being annoyed at having to deal with civilians. Jake gave the unit a more thorough look. There were two Humvee trucks carrying about eight soldiers. He had noticed from their patrols outside of town that they never went far without a decent sized party. The two drivers remained at the wheels while the others had fanned out into defensive positions, guns at the ready.

"What's this about?" Eric asked, suspicious, coming to his brother's defense.

"CO's orders." Commanding officer. Jake wasn't really sure what branch of military they really worked for, but he did know that they had put a swift end to the fight with New Bern at Richmond's farm two days ago. Since then, they had had little contact with Jericho except for a debriefing where they had taken their statements. He knew they had taken statements from Constantino and some of his men as well. Lt. Williams gave a nod to behind the Greens and their small group. ""We're sorry about the timing, but we've had an incident at the outpost that requires your attention."

Jake glanced at his mother, seeing her tear-streaked face. He didn't want to make a scene, not now. Whatever it was obviously couldn't wait. "All right."

"Mom-" he started as he turned to his mother. He imagined that the military probably needed additional questions about the battle answered.

"Go if you need to." Gail Green's strong voice commanded. She had that serious look in her eyes. He wasn't sure if he heard disapproval in her tone or not.

Jake looked over and saw the soft blue eyes of Emily and the tired expressions of Jimmy and Bill in their deputy uniforms.

"Come on, Mom," Eric took off his coat and put it around the shoulders of their mother and wrapped his arm around her. His brother would take care of her.

Jake nodded to his brother as the small group left and started to walk back to town. He climbed into the Humvee next to several of the men and blew his breath over his cold hands, envying the warm winter uniforms of the militia. Someone had obviously provisioned this unit well, he noticed.

The three mile drive out to the outpost was over in minutes, reminding Jake of how much they used to take cars for granted. Nowadays, fuel was saved for emergencies and everyone walked. The hike would have taken him at least thirty minutes on foot.

The loud engines of the Humvee made conversation difficult so he didn't even bother trying, not that he was in the mood for it. Jake wanted to get this over with then head home to be with Eric and his mother. They needed to be together right now.

The first thing he noticed as they approached the outpost was how much it had expanded since he had been here yesterday morning. There were more tents, a defined and patrolled perimeter and more tanks and trucks. Toward the rear was a landing area for helicopters, where three of them now sat quietly, their cargo doors open. Several fuel tankers had already arrived, which was a sure sign that this outpost was here to stay for a while. Jake wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. He still had an uneasy feeling in his stomach about this. They all had that strange flag on their uniforms and a similar flag now flew from a flagpole in the middle of the camp. He had been told they represented the new federal government in Cheyenne.

When the military had appeared out of nowhere and put a stop to the fighting, Jake had been torn between relief and rage. He wanted revenge, to hurt the people who had killed his father, killed Heather and were hurting Jericho and its people. He had wanted to strike back and hard. But deep inside, he knew they were out gunned and out manned. If they had had more mortars for the tank, they would have had a chance, but Jonah had taken the mortars and bailed on them. The military intervention had saved a lot of lives, but the outstanding question was how the military had known about the battle to begin with. Jake had suspected Hawkins had something to do with it at first, but Hawkins had been just as surprised as he was when they showed up.

The trucks stopped briefly at a manned gate for a quick security check before heading inside the ring of tents. They stopped outside one of the larger tents and several of the soldiers on the truck climbed out, including Lt Williams.

"This way." The lieutenant nodded at the tent. The soldier guarding the entrance to the tent saluted and stepped aside. The heavily insulated fabric of the tent's doorway opened into a small hallway with several rooms off to each side. Command post tent, Jake figured. Lt. Williams didn't stop and kept walking toward the back.

It was much warmer inside and Jake saw several space heaters in the rooms as they walked by. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light as he followed the lieutenant. He caught glimpses of cots, lockers, and portable desks covered in neatly stacked paper and maps. Dim lighting lit the hallway and rooms off to each side, powered by a generator that he could hear running outside. At the end of hallway was an opened door inside a wood frame with windows on either side covered in a thin plastic sheeting. They walked through the door. On the left was an office guarded by a solider who snapped a salute at the lieutenant. More plastic covered the window openings, making it impossible to see inside. He was guarding something or someone, but before Jake could look more closely, the lieutenant stopped, blocking his view.

"Jake Green," a deep male voice came from the office on the right as a man joined them.

"Colonel Hoffman." Jake nodded to the command officer of this outpost and stopped himself from adding 'sir'. He recognized the colonel from yesterday. He had spent an hour giving his version of the altercation with New Bern in a briefing to the colonel and several officers. They had recorded his testimony and taken notes. Constantino had given a statement too, but they hadn't heard much more from the Colonel since then other to warn them both to put their weapons away, go home and stay away from each other.

Colonel Hoffman gave Jake a glance, noticing his suit. Lt. Williams whispered something to the colonel and the officer nodded.

"My condolences to you and your family." Col. Hoffman said in a way that made Jake appreciate his sincerity. "I'm sorry we had to interrupt you at such an inappropriate time, so I'll come straight to the point. We had a breach of security here this morning by someone claiming to be a resident of Jericho."

That surprised him. "I assure you, most of the town was up at the cemetery this morning." Jake said, though he supposed anyone could have taken advantage of the funeral as a distraction and used it for no good. It sounded like something Jonah might have his gang do to test security.

"This person claimed to have no family here and had been out of town for a while, which made us suspicious, especially after since she was the one to tip us off about the skirmish between you and New Bern." Col. Hoffman continued. "But she said you would vouch for her."

Jake was curious now, but the plastic covering the windows was not transparent enough to make out much in the other room. The colonel had said "she". What women did he know that weren't in town and hadn't been at the funeral? And what was this about tipping them off about New Bern? His mind wasn't working that well today, the pain of his father's death was weighing him down, the numbness and anguish still heavy in his chest and he hadn't slept more than a few hours in the past three days.

The colonel nodded at the soldier by the door, who opened it. Inside the small office, this one bigger and more brightly lit, was a desk, a military-issue cot, a space heater, various boxes, a portable white board, and locker at one side. At the desk was a soldier guarding a woman with brunette hair sitting handcuffed in a chair. Her eyes lifted at the sound of the door and met his; light blue-gray eyes that took his breath away. He thought she was dead. His heart pounded as recognition shot through him.

"Heather."

(To be continued...)

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Full Circle, Chapter Two

Heather had sat in the uncomfortable chair in the military tent for a long time by the time Jake walked through the door escorted by Colonel Hoffman and Lieutenant Williams. The guard in her room had never moved nor would he respond to any of her questions. She had heard voices outside the door and then Jake appeared in the door. She nearly jumped out of her chair to run over to him, but her guard placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping her in place. The weight of the months away from Jericho ached in her heart as she met Jake's familiar, brown eyes. Jake looked really surprised to see her. Had she really been away that long?

Jake's hair was longer and for some odd reason he was dressed in a suit. He looked good in a suit. She always saw him as the jeans type, probably because that was all she ever saw him wearing. But all guys had to get dressed up now and then. But why? She looked a bit deeper and saw there was something more going on. There was a heaviness in the way he held himself and there were lines of strain in his face that hinted at a lack of sleep. Was he okay? What had happened with the battle with New Bern and in the past few months? She had only been gone a few months, yet it seemed like a year.

When she had hid in the helicopter this morning, all she could think about was getting back home to Jericho. Now she was sitting here in handcuffs. Her body was still sore from her escape from New Bern and the attack on the road. She was still wearing the light t shirt and scrub pants from the medical tent. If she hadn't been so cold in the helicopter, she might have gone undetected under the netting until she could have tried to get out without notice. They had brought her into this office with the space heater, which had fortunately warmed her up over the past hour since they found her. They had asked her many questions and asked if there was someone in town they could contact about her. The only person that came to mind was Jake. She wasn't even sure he would come, if he was still alive if they had fought with New Bern. But there he was, looking handsome as usual, even more so in a suit.

"We told her she wouldn't be safe here. This part of the country is still out of control. It will be months before order is restored. We've been taking all refugees to Cheyenne." Colonel Hoffman explained. "You are aware that being a stowaway in a military vehicle is a federal offense?" he said to Heather.

She wasn't sure if he was joking or serious. But there had been few things in the past months to joke about. She had seen little humor with this military thus far.

"For what federal government?" Jake asked. They had heard about the splits in government while at Black Jack and she had learned more in New Bern and at Camp Liberty. She wondered what Jake knew about the state of the country. Over by the door, Lt. Williams coughed. He had been the one that the colonel had sent out to find Jake.

"Well, ours, once we regain control over the rest." The colonel replied. She had noted in her brief conversations with Colonel Hoffman that he was very antagonistic toward the other federal government in the East as well as the splinter state of Texas and seemed very confident about his own government.

"I'm sorry, but I told you, I just wanted to come back home." Heather said in her best authoritative voice. She saw Jake's chin lift in response to the sound of her voice. They had been planning on sending her to Cheyenne where they were rebuilding the city to become a temporary capitol and needed whatever help they could get. She had pleaded for them to bring her back home, but they had refused. After being away for so long, all she could think of us was getting back to Jericho. She wanted to know if her wind turbines had worked, how the people were doing, and to see how Emily was holding up, to see if Eric and the rest of the Jericho men had made it back safely, to see Jake and imagine they could be more than just friends, and to sleep in her own bed again. And to forget the past months, the horrors she had seen and experienced, and the people that had died. She wasn't sure where she found the courage to sneak on to one of the helicopters this morning. Last night, when she heard they were heading to Jericho, she knew she had to get on board. It was still dark this morning when she crawled behind the security patrol, clung to the shadows and took the opportunity to hide under the cargo netting in one of the helicopters. When the helicopter took off without her being caught, she knew she was on her way home.

"She said she has no family here. There's no reason to stay in a combat zone-" the colonel's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Everyone in Jericho is family." Jake interrupted the colonel as he stepped closer to her side protectively, close enough that she could feel his warmth. He laid a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it.

"All right. If you will vouch for her and assure me that she will cause no more disruption in this outpost."

"I will." Jake shifted uneasily on his feet. He looked impatient and uncomfortable. Closer to him now, she saw the slump in his shoulders. Something had happened, more than the fight with New Bern that she only heard about briefly from one of the soldiers. Had Eric and the others not made it back? She hadn't had time to find out what happened to Eric and the others when she fled New Bern and been worried about them since. Eric had gotten captured when he told her to keep running. What if Constantino had shot him?

"You do realize that we cannot assure your safety here." Col. Hoffman looked directly at her. "Our priority is to secure the roads, and to restore power and communications. We only came here because it was a good central staging point for northern Kansas."

Jake looked at the colonel oddly, but didn't say anything. She needed to tell him about what had happened at Camp Liberty. Jericho was remote, which was why they had never heard much news about what was going on in the country after the bombs. She had heard more up to date news in New Bern. Why had the colonel suddenly become so interested in the local dispute when at first he said it wasn't his job?

"I'll be okay here." She told the colonel. Though she had only lived in Jericho a few years, it had become home to her. She trusted the people here and wanted to keep helping them get through this difficult time. Her time in New Bern had only solidified her loyalty to her new hometown.

"Heather's our local mechanical whiz." Jake teased. "She's the one responsible for the wind turbines." The look of pride on his face made her blush.

The colonel gave her a surprised, but doubtful look. She'd gotten many of those in her life, even recently when trying to teach assembly line workers how to build a generator for wind turbines. Jake had said turbines. Some of the turbines they had been making for Jericho must have made it back. That made her smile. Her stay in New Bern hadn't been a total waste.

"I'd be interested in any schematics you might have, especially information on how to make them with limited resources. I'm sure other communities could benefit from alternative energy until the power grids are brought back online." Colonel Hoffman gave her a long interested look.

"I'd be happy to help," she replied without thinking. Jake gave her a worried look and she almost regretted the offer. No, it was a good thing to do. She had done a research project in college on energy and probably knew more than most.

"Good, we'll be in touch." The colonel seemed to warm a bit toward her. "Now let's get you out of here, young lady." Colonel Hoffman nodded at the soldier guarding her, who unlocked her handcuffs before returning to stand at attention against the wall again. "School teacher? Are you sure you aren't an ex-Navy Seal? We have those choppers under twenty-four hour surveillance. I have three men on latrine duty thanks to you."

Jake chuckled and fondly stroked her shoulder. Heather rubbed her wrists and smiled mysteriously. She still wanted to jump up and give him a hug, but settled for stepping closer to him instead. Jake wrapped his arm around her and started leading her out. The lieutenant walked in front of the leading the way with the colonel trailing behind them. She felt the tension in Jake's body and wondered why. A soldier opened the flaps of the tent ahead of them and they stepped outside.

The coldness of the air and brightness of the sun both hit her at the same time. But it was good to breathe fresh air again after the stale air of the tent. She took a deep breath that lead to a shiver as the cold hit her bare arms and carried through the thin fabric of her t shirt and pants.

Jake gave her one quick look, took off his suit jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. It was warm and smelled like him with a slight hint of aftershave and the scent of rugged masculinity. The jacket wrapped all the way around her slim shoulders so that she was able to close it in front and ward off some of the cold. The white of Jake's dress shirt looked terribly out of place compared to the green and tan camouflage uniforms and tents around them. He looked like a businessman lost in a war movie.

But this was reality now, Heather reminded herself. Their nation, what was left of it, lay in ruins and quite possibly was at war.

They escorted them over to where two large Humvees were waiting. Soldiers were already aboard and two waiting outside.

"Jake, if you'd have some time soon, I could use some help getting to know the area and any problem spots that you might know of." The colonel said behind them.

Jake paused and slowly turned to look around at the colonel. "Give me a few days, my family is taking this pretty hard."

Family? What had happened? In the light, she saw cuts and bruises on Jake's face and frowned.

"Understood, take all the time you need. We'll be here. We'll be needing our doctor back from your medical center soon, though. And we'll be appointing a liaison to work with your town, so if you need anything, you can contact him. Let your mayor know we be contacting him again shortly."

"Will do. Thank you." Jake shook the colonel's hand. The lieutenant climbed into the front of the nearest Humvee and a soldier in the backseat reached down to offer her a hand up while Jake helped guide her up from behind. It was a bit of a climb up, much like Russell's truck had been. She sat next to the soldier who was against the outside and Jake slid up next to her, his leg against hers, his arm wrapping around to pull her against his chest. Another soldier sat on the other side of Jake, squeezing them even closer together, but at least it was warmer that way. There was no heat in the vehicle. She slipped a hand behind Jake's waist and was surprised when she felt a gun in the small of his back tucked into the waistband of his pants. The world had changed so much, she thought to herself, trying to ignore the feel of the gun.

"And stay out of trouble, Miss Lisinski." Outside, the colonel gave Heather a smile. He acknowledged the salute of the lieutenant as the drivers started the engines and drove out of the outpost, exiting through guarded gates. And she expected to try and make it out of there undetected? What had she been thinking? Well, at least she had made it back to Jericho. She had figured if she could at least make it to Jericho, it would be harder to send her back. In the distance, she could see the familiar landmarks marking the town skyline. She thought she could make out a couple of her wind turbines turning in the wind. The road wrapped around as it headed into town. She was coming home at last.

(To be continued...)


	3. Chapter 3

Full Circle, Chapter Three

The drive from the military post to town didn't taking long. Jake kept his arm tight around Heather's shoulders and his leg was pressed tight against hers. The noise of the engine of the Humvee made it difficult to hear, but she couldn't resist asking anymore. "Jake, what happened?" She practically had to shout.

"I'll tell you once we get back to town." His breath was warm against her cheek. He leaned forward and tapped the lieutenant on the shoulder. "Hey, can you leave us just on the edge of town?" Jake shouted. "I'll show you where."

The lieutenant nodded and Jake leaned back. "We can stop and get you some warmer clothes," he said in her ear. She felt the leanness of his body against her side. God, he smelled so good. She was willing to withstand being cold if she could sit next to Jake just a bit longer.

Her house was on north side of town, a small bungalow she had been renting from the Meyers. It was early in the morning still, but yet they saw no one on the roads even walking. Typically there were people out walking at this time of day, going out to work or help out on the farms. Jake showed the driver where to go and they were dropped off a block from her house. Why he didn't have them take them to her house directly, she wasn't sure.

"Jake-" she began to ask as soon as the Humvees were gone. She had too many questions. She found it strange that they hadn't seen anyone. "Is Eric okay? Did the others make it back from New Bern?" People get dressed up for church, weddings and funerals, and today wasn't Sunday and she couldn't believe a wedding had happened, so it must have been a funeral. Or perhaps several funerals. The soldiers had said there had been a battle going on when they arrived and that people had died.

"Not now, let's get you changed first and then we'll talk." Jake took her hand in his and set a quick pace toward her house. "The others came back with the wind turbines. And yes, Eric is fine and home, too"

His answer only left her more puzzled, but Heather realized he was right as she felt the biting wind rip right through her, even with Jake's jacket on. Warm clothes would feel good. The truck hadn't been very warm but it had been out of the wind. By the time they got to her place, she was shivering again. Jake wasn't doing much better, even though his hand was slightly warmer than hers. Jake tried to shelter her as they walked down the sidewalk in the direction of her house.

"I assure you, yesterday seemed much warmer." She said in rush. "I could go for a sunny, warm beach right now." Though she had only been to a real beach only once in her life in Texas. Jake didn't reply, which made her feel self-conscious. He had probably seen his share of beaches. She felt naive. She was babbling nervously in front of Jake again, after she had promised herself not to do that anymore Fortunately, they arrived at the stone walkway leading up to her house.

Her house was set back among trees on a small lot. She loved the little place she rented from the Meyers, even though she only occupied the downstairs. Two bedrooms upstairs were used for storage for the furniture and other belongings of the Meyers' son and his family who had been serving as missionaries in Bolivia for five years. She liked the big oak and maple trees around the place that gave her a nice bit of privacy and kept it cool during the summer. The porch was open with an old couch and chair where she used to grade papers or read. She could see downtown Jericho from her porch.

"Let me grab my spare key," Heather said, climbing the porch steps behind Jake. She had lost her keys along with her clothes in New Bern. She reached down to pull up a loose board on the porch.

"I don't think you'll need it." Jake said, turning the doorknob of her front door. The door opened, apparently unlocked.

Jake waved for her to wait, pulled out his gun and entered her house. He stopped just inside the door, putting his gun away. She peaked around his shoulder and saw why. Her house was not uninhabited. The lights were on, thanks to her wind turbines no doubt. A fire blazed in the living room fireplace filling the room with warmth. Her couch was still pulled close to the fireplace in the same spot where she had been sleeping during the winter. But in front of it was a small boy playing on the floor with matchbox cars. Her matchbox cars. Well, rather, they had been both hers and her brother's. The small boy had dark hair and looked to be about eight or nine years old, about the same age as the students she used to teach. He looked up at them, staring open-mouthed.

"Jerry is that-" A woman walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands dry on a towel. "Oh!" she stopped, startled.

"Ah hell," Jake froze beside her. "I forgot. They gave your place out to some of the refugees temporarily."

"Hi, Mr. Green," The woman greeted Jake. She looked to be in her late thirties, tall with long black hair that was beginning to turn gray. "You must be Heather, I recognize you from your picture." She nodded over to a photograph on a table. The small boy trotted over to hide shyly behind the woman.

"Sorry about this. Heather just got home." Jake said, unconsciously rubbing Heather's back as he stood near her.

"We've been so grateful for being able to stay here. You have no idea how nice it's been to have a roof over our heads." The woman gushed. "They told us you were only going to be gone for a few days and they'd find someplace else for us. But then it turned into weeks and-"

"It's okay. Really." Heather reassured the woman, realizing how awkward the situation must be for her. It must be odd for her to be living in someone else's house. It felt strange knowing someone else had been staying in her house, sleeping in her bed and using her kitchen. But it was nice to know that her place could give some comfort to people far from home. When Roger had come to New Bern, he had said they were going to give out empty houses to the refugees. She just didn't think her own house would have been one of them. But she had been gone a while.

"I'm sorry. I"m Cecilia Owen. This is my son Tommy. My husband Jerry went out to get firewood." Cecilia held out her hand to Heather and she shook it, noticing the woman's hands were rough and slightly damp. She thought she could smell something baking in the kitchen and her stomach growled. She had missed breakfast.

"We just need to get Heather a change of clothes." Jake explained.

"Of course, you must be freezing in that." Cecilia glanced at Heather's clothes. "I didn't touch any of your things other to tidy up a little, it was the least I could do. We've been using your laundry basket for clothes. I'm afraid your clothes were too small for us. We'll start packing to move back to the church. I'm sure you'll want your place back." The woman's nervousness showed as she talked nonstop without taking a breath.

Heather started to feel guilty. She didn't need this entire house if a family could use it instead. "No, it's fine, really. I'll find someplace to-"

"Don't worry about it for now. We'll find someplace for Heather to stay for now if she wants until we can find somewhere else for you." Jake answered for her. "Do you mind if we use the bedroom? Heather needs to change and we need to talk."

"Go right ahead. We haven't been sleeping in the bed. It's too cold, so we've been sleeping on the couch by the fireplace," the woman answered, still speaking fast.

Her place used electric heat. Heather wasn't sure how much power the town really had to spare and her house was on the edge of town. She figured the power out this far might be spotty depending on how much wind they were getting. She wondered if the houses with gas heat were fairing any better.

"Thanks," Jake nodded and followed Heather down the hall.

Heather entered her bedroom where she discovered everything seemed to still be in place, however, it looked like the room had been cleaned. The dressers were clear of dust. The wood floor had been washed and her area rugs had been repositioned. The clothes that normally lay strewn about the room were missing, probably put away. She was never a good housekeeper, but the place was usually clean just not neat. She liked to think of herself as a clutter person. Her grandmother's old quilt was on the bed which made her smile. She had had that in her hope chest and had been using her old blankets and comforter in the living room. It wasn't as warm as the living room, and she guessed that the heat was still off in order to save on power.

"Anything missing?" Jake spoke, startling her. He closed the door behind them.

Heather had momentarily forgotten he had followed her into her room. She found herself looking at the room wondering what Jake thought. Her furniture was old and a bit beaten up, hand me downs from her grandparents house. She had a few old paintings on the wall, one her mother had painted. There was a pile of books on her end table along with a few photos and knick knacks. Her old stereo and rack of compact discs were on top of her dresser. She didn't have much, but she loved her bedroom. It was cozy, simple and old fashioned, much like herself.

"No, things look fine," Heather answered.

Jake sat down near the foot of the bed watching her. He looked exhausted.

"Let me find some clothes." Her dresser was on the other side of the bed so Jake would have his back to her. She tried to not think about changing with Jake in the room, but couldn't wait to put on some real clothes again. She had been wearing the ones she had on for more than two days now. She took off Jake's jacket and handed it back to him. He laid it on the bed beside him. "No looking!" she added, remembering how she used to joke with Ted when they changed in the same room as kids.

"Heh," Jake chuckled but she didn't get the feeling he was feeling all that humorous.

Heather dug into her old dresser and found an old sweater and pair of jeans. She cautiously watched Jake's back to make sure he wasn't looking. Discarding the clothes from the medical tent, she pulled her sweater on, followed by the jeans but then realized that her jeans were too big. She had lost weight while she was gone. Grumbling, she opened another drawer, pulled out a belt and began threading it through the loops of her jeans.

"Everything okay?" Jake glanced over his shoulder at her and caught her with her midriff exposed as she put on the belt. She met his eyes and saw it again, the pain and weariness. She absently tightened the belt and clasped it, frowning to herself.

Her curiosity couldn't wait any longer. "Jake, why are you wearing a suit, and where is everyone in town?" They usually would have seen people about town, but the streets had been empty. She had little information of what had happened with New Bern other than there had been a big battle around the Richmond farm. People she knew were probably dead, injured or missing. Knowing that they were likely out of medicine, just like New Bern had been, and low on doctors, especially with April gone, the care of anyone hurt was likely to be poor at best.

Her question seemed to snap Jake back to reality. He gave her a long look and let out a heavy sigh before he spoke, his voice hoarse. "My dad was killed the other day when the war broke out. The funeral was today." Jake couldn't even look her in the eyes, but she heard the depth of his anguish in his voice and it broke her heart.

"Oh God!" Horror ripped through her as Jake's words registered in her mind. Her heart caught in her throat. Time seemed to stop and the silence of the room was deafening. Heather saw the strong Johnston Green in her mind, the one who had kept her entertained with stories during the long drive to Black Jack. Mr. Green, the pillar of Jericho, dead. The former mayor had kept the town together during the darkest times of its history. She knew how much he meant to the town and to Jake, Eric and Mrs. Green.

Heather stepped in front of Jake as he sat on the bed, pulling him into her arms. His arms quickly went around her waist and hips, bringing her tight against him. His head rested against her shoulder. She felt the exhaustion in his body as he inhaled deeply against her, his eyes closing. 

"I'm so sorry, Jake" Heather felt her own tears begin, the reality of his words hitting her. She knew what it was like to lose a parent. And she knew Jake's relationship with his father had had issues. She could only imagine the mixture of guilt and grief that he was suffering right now. She held him like that for a long time, her arms wrapped around his head and shoulders, her hands stroking his hair, lending him her comfort with soothing murmurs. Jake held on to her tightly, not letting her go. How long they remained in that embrace, she didn't know or care. She hadn't been there for the battle and when his father died, but she could be here for Jake now.

A noise out in the living room startled her back to reality and there was a murmur of voices through the bedroom door. But still, Jake didn't let go, holding on to her for support.

She hadn't been able to stop the attacks in time, the thought ripped through her mind. "God, Jake, I'm so sorry, I tried to stop them-" If only she hadn't been caught, hadn't been so stupid as to think that she and Eric could destroy the mortar manufacturing part of the plant.

"Ssh, this wasn't your fault," Jake whispered against her.

Heather pulled back to look at him. She realized that she was so short, they were nearly at eye level with him sitting on the bed. She saw tears in Jake's eyes and nearly broke down again. "If I hadn't gone there and got them to help make the turbines-"

"No, you did the right thing, you were just trying to help." He shook his head. "I think New Bern had been planning this for a long time. They were just looking for a reason to rally their people to attack us."

Heather sighed and tried to look away, not quite believing him. She felt the dampness of her tears on her cheeks.

"Heather." Jake reached up and cupped her chin with a warm hand and made her look back at him. She saw the raw emotion in his eyes, a mix of grief and something else as his eyes looked over her face. "I thought they killed you. Eric said you were trying to stop them. What happened wasn't your fault or anyone else's. If anyone should be blamed, it's whoever attacked us with nuclear bombs and put us in this desperate situation of no food and power and no government."

"God, Jake. I shouldn't have gone, " Heather shook her head and pulling away from him. His hand dropped to her shoulder. "Then they wouldn't have known about Jericho..." She had had her reservations, from the time that Jake had reluctantly let her go after Black Jack, to the difficult times she had had in New Bern trying to convince them to help her and Jericho. Then Constantino had started asking her questions about Jericho and how it was holding up. When he wouldn't let her come home with the first turbine, she began to worry. The ten men, including Eric and Stanley had come and helped her and Ted at the plant, though they weren't really needed, but she suspected they were being used as hostages. She had hoped they could simply get the ten wind turbines made as their part of the deal and get out of New Bern. But she had been naive and wrong. Constantino had been setting her and Jericho up for trouble from the time she had arrived.

"No, you did the right thing," he repeated. "Those turbines have saved many people already. Most of the town has heat again and the clinic has power. You're the local hero, Heather." Jake dropped his hands to her waist and pulled her close again.

"I thought that was your job." She sniffled, wiping away tears with the back of her hand.

That got a slight smile out of him, but then Jake grew serious again. "No, I'm still the local screw up. Many think I should have surrendered to New Bern. Then so many wouldn't have died…" Jake stared out off to the side as his voice trailed off.

"How many others? Besides your dad?"

"Nine others died, about twenty wounded." She heard the regret in his voice. She thought about the people she had seen killed in New Bern; people who disobeyed Constantino and his harsh laws, and people starving to death and the two people who had died trying to get her away from town and back to Jericho. Too many people had died, in America and now in Jericho, too.

"Jake, " Heather laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "They were going bomb Jericho and take over the farms and the mine."

"They almost did." Jake replied. "I saw the map of what they were planning on doing." 

Heather stared at him in surprise. He had seen the same map? She had found it late one night when she had overheard voices at the plant and found Constantino meeting with a group of men. "You came to New Bern?" She figured Eric must have escaped somehow and warned them. Had Jake come to rescue her after all?

Jake nodded and quickly explained how the Jericho men had returned with the turbines but without Eric or her. While Jake told his story, Heather sat down on the bed next to him. Jake and Robert Hawkins had gone to New Bern to find out what happened to them. They had barely made it out alive thanks to his father, Hawkins and a woman named Maggie. Eric had told him that she was dead and she wasn't surprised they thought that. That was the way she had finally gotten them to stop chasing her.

"Jake, they weren't going to stop with just taking farms and the mine. I overheard them talking. That's why they were letting us make the turbines, they were planning on taking over Jericho once we had them. Then Constantino was going to sell people in exchange for fuel, food and weapons. Slavery is the new trade, especially for unprotected towns."

She hadn't believed the rumors she had heard at first, that women and children were being sold into slavery. But after her encounter when she was captured, she believed it now. A shudder went through her as she remembered the dark, barely lit examining room. After her escape from the plant, her friends that had helped her escape from town wanted to leave because they had seen their neighbors and friends disappearing. She had promised them that they could come to Jericho and they had died trying to get her here. Having grown up in New Bern, Heather had been shocked at how her old hometown community had disintegrated after the bombs. Maybe if her father had still been alive, he could have helped New Bern through the tough times. Jericho was like a beacon of peace and luxury compared to the town where she had grown up. She could see the motivation for doing whatever they could to survive, but Constantino had taken it too far, going power hungry and insane.

"Slavery? Are you sure?" Jake looked incredulous.

Heather nodded. They had seen those beds with chains at Black Jack. She hadn't wanted to believe it at first what those meant, but New Bern had taught her otherwise.

"We weren't ready for their attack, not by a long shot. If the military hadn't shown up, most of us would likely be dead by now." Jake sighed. "And now the military is here, probably the only thing that will keep us from getting attacked again."

"I think they are up to something, Jake," Heather told him, glad to change the subject from talking about slavery. 

"The military? Why do you say that?" He seemed to believe her rather quickly. Perhaps he was as suspicious of the military as she was.

She explained how Colonel Hoffman had not seemed interested in Jericho at first when she had told them that New Bern was about to attack Jericho. But later, when she had seen the sudden bustle of activity in the camp, the colonel had told her that Jericho had been bumped up in priority and that they were about to head there immediately.

"The colonel said you were the one who got them to come here. Did they say why they decided to come after all?"

Heather shook her head. "I asked, they wouldn't say, but one sergeant said that Jericho was important, but I have no idea why. We don't have much manufacturing, mainly just farms, the mills and the mine. There's got to be other salt mines in Kansas."

"I don't think the mine's it." Jake had a distant look on his face, lost in thought.

"I'll tell Mayor Anderson, maybe he can find out more."

"Heather." Jake woke up from wherever his mind had wandered and stared at her. "Do me a favor, and don't tell him or anyone else anything about this yet."

"What?" That didn't make sense. Usually everyone was pretty open with everything that was going on that affected Jericho. "Why?"

Jake didn't answer right away. "I need to see if I can find out why they changed their plans, and I can't do that if Gray starts asking questions." There was something about how he said it that made her wonder if he was not telling her everything. Emily had told her Jake was never a good liar and she was right.

"Jake, Stanley told me about that group that came to town masquerading as Marines." Maybe that was it, he wasn't sure which government they were from. "I'm pretty sure this group is the real thing, or close to it. Their base camp had satellite communications and an air runway and hundreds of soldiers and tons of equipment."

"And that's exactly what I'm afraid of." Jake ran a hand over his face. "Look, let's get back to town. I'm sure Gray and the others would like to hear how you escaped from New Bern and ended up with the military. We could use a little good news about now."

Jake probably wanted to get back to his family and she had pulled him away from it. She felt guilty. Though it was good to see Jake again, she knew that they were just friends. At least she could be here as a friend for him during this tough time.

He stopped before opening her bedroom door and turned to look at her. "Heather, did they hurt you?" She saw the worry in his expression, the same look he had given her when she left for New Bern. It had almost given her a small ounce of hope that he was interested in her. But that had been months ago.

A wash of memories began to flood over her but she locked them down. She didn't want to think about it, let alone talk about it. "No," she shook her head slightly and tried to force sincerity into her expression. "I'm fine." she added with a smile. "Ted and Russell and the guys took good care of me."

Jake studied her face for a second and she wasn't sure he believed her at first, but he nodded and gave her a small smile. She must have been convincing enough.

(To be continued...) 


	4. Chapter 4

Full Circle, Chapter Four 

"Wait here." Jake requested as he and Heather neared the center of town. If they came around the corner of the church, they would be on Main Street and visible from City Hall. Jake peaked around the corner. "There's a bunch of people waiting around City Hall, probably for me to come back and find out what happened."

"Never a dull moment in Jericho that people aren't interested in," Heather mumbled. She was used to the gossip and nosiness that a small town like Jericho was known for, which had only gotten worse since the bombs and loss of power and communications. Word of mouth and regular town meetings kept the interest high in whatever was happening.

The walk into town hadn't taken them long. It wasn't nearly as cold now that she had on warmer clothes. She had grabbed an old winter coat since she had lost her new one in New Bern. The morning was slowly warming up and even Jake didn't seem as cold as they walked into town. He wore his suit jacket again, though he had loosened his tie. 

Heather waited patiently as Jake continued on. She wondered what people would think. Would people really be glad to see her? Even after living here for over three years, some of townsfolk still regarded her cautiously. She tried to chalk it up to being new in town, though her secret fear was because she had never really been that popular, even in her hometown or in school. Jericho had been better in that regards, and since the bombs, she had made herself useful by trying to fix the older model cars, trucks and the occasional tractor working again after the EMP pulse. Her days here after the bombs had been filled with teaching whatever students showed up, helping others and fixing things where she could. She had helped at the workshops that the women held at the school trying to help brainstorm ideas on how to get by without power and outside supplies. Most nights, she had gone to bed too exhausted to even notice the lack of power and heat. When the discussion of wind turbines had come up in the town meeting, she had known that she could make that happen for Jericho and had taken it on as her personal mission. She only wished it had not taken so long and nearly cost her her life and freedom.

She wondered how people were holding up. Had one of the teachers taken over her class from school? If the kids were still going to school. Attendance had been slowly dropping off as the months had gone by, despite their attempts to maintain normalcy. She had heard little news from Jericho except when the Jericho men had come to New Bern and what Roger had said when he passed through. How was Emily doing? And Stanley, Mimi and his sister since Stanley had returned? She had gotten to be good friends with Stanley and Eric while they were in New Bern. And how was Eric since he had gotten back? His father's death would be hitting him hard as well, especially since he had just lost April.

"Jake!" she heard a few voices call out in the distance, breaking into her reverie. There was a murmur of conversation in the distance.

"Is everything okay?" she heard a voice ask, but wasn't sure who it belonged to.

"Yeah," she heard Jake answer, though she could barely make out his voice. Likely his back was toward her.

"What did the military want?" Gray Anderson asked. She could hear the suspicion in his voice.

"They wanted to give us back our local hero," Jake said mysteriously.

Heather could hear the humor in his voice and it made her smile. Hero? She didn't feel like a hero. He was making her out to be more than she deserved. Heather sighed. She wanted to get this over with and get back to a normal life here in Jericho. She never liked crowds much. She always felt like she stuck out like a sore thumb. Teaching a class of elementary school children was about her limit. Her hands were damp with nervousness.

"Jake, stop being so damn mysterious and tell us what the hell happened." That sounded like Stanley.

"I'll let her tell you herself. We have someone to thank for getting the military to come out here and save us."

Oh God, he's making it appear to be a bigger story than it was. But then she remembered something Johnston Green had said on the drive to Black Jack about the importance of hope and keeping up spirits. Jake was just following what his father would have done by taking advantage of the moment. 

"You can come out now," Jake called out loudly and she knew that was her cue.

Trying hard not blush and die from embarrassment, Heather Lisinski walked slowly around the corner of the church onto Main Street.

Murmurs and exclamations of surprise came from the small crowd of people standing outside of City Hall. To her surprise, she saw that some of the buildings were damaged. A few had tarps on the roofs and windows boarded up. There was debris and cracks in the concrete in the street and sidewalks as well. Had downtown been bombed? With regret, she realized that she and Eric hadn't been able to do enough damage to New Bern's mortars. 

As she got closer, she noticed most of the people were dressed up but wore warm coats. Most of them had been up at the funeral. She felt a little out of place in her old coat and jeans. She heard her name being said and a few comments like 'I thought she was dead, she's alive, she got the turbines here' and she felt like she was going to die from all the attention of many pairs of eyes watching her.

But then she saw the expression on Jake's face. He was smiling and positively beaming with pride. Her heart did a somersault. If she could at least bring him a bit of happiness, then this was all worth it. Heather noticed the look on other faces… gratitude, smiles, a few 'thank gods' and then she was in the crowd. People surrounded her. She received many affectionate pats on the back and hugs including from several from her students calling her Ms. Lisinski, a few parents she recognized and a few of the teachers she had worked with. Stanley picked her up and gave her a big bear hug. Even a few of the local guys, some she had worked with on their cars, gave her a hug or pat on the shoulder. She definitely was not used to this much attention. 

Gray Anderson held out a hand to her. "Welcome home, Heather. You're a sight for sore eyes." She shook his hand briefly, her small hand dwarfed in his big one.

"Thank you, it's good to be back." It was the first thing she had said and she tried to use her best teacher voice. That usually worked best.

"And thank you for the turbines, as you can see, they are really working." She followed Gray's gaze to one of the turbines that stood tall over Main Street, turning briskly in the breeze.

"Heather," She felt a soft touch on her shoulder and turned to see Emily, who quickly enfolded her in a hug. "Jake and Eric said you were dead." She saw tears in the eyes of her friend and a touch of sadness. "I'm glad you made it back." There was tinge of something in Emily's voice but she couldn't figure out what it was.

"Well, the rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Heather quoted Mark Twain and got a good laugh from several people and a smile from Emily. Heather hadn't seen Eric or Gail Green in the crowd but they had probably gone home after the funeral. And she had hijacked Jake from spending time with his family.

She looked over the crowd and saw that Jake hadn't moved far from the curb where he had been standing when she walked in. He was watching her. The expression on his face was unreadable and she wondered what he was thinking. Then he gave her a slight smile and she smiled back.

"Look Heather, do you have some time to fill us in on what happened?" Gray asked. "Eric told us some, but he said they were shooting at you and chasing you with dogs and Constantino had told him that you had drowned." 

The memory of what had happened flashed through her mind---images of being captured, handcuffed and examined, escaping, her adrenaline pumping, bullets spraying around her as she had bolted free of her captors, dogs barking and nearly catching her, then falling… falling into water and everything going dark.

"Yeah, sounds like a scene from the Fugitive." Mimi teased. She had heard a lot about Mimi from Stanley while they were in New Bern.

"All right, but trust me, it was nothing that glamorous." The weeks in New Bern had been difficult, and she still wasn't sure where she had found the strength and good fortune to have made it out alive. She was unsure about having to tell the story, but felt that the people needed to know what had happened and that the town of New Bern wasn't totally to blame. She owed both towns that much.

"Let's go inside where it's a little warmer." Gray pointed back toward City Hall.

* * *

The group of people from outside settled in the meeting hall chairs upstairs in City Hall. All of the chairs quickly filled up with people until there was standing room only around the outside of the room. The heat was off in the building, but there was a fire in the fireplace at the front of the room. It reminded Heather of the meeting a few months ago that had resulted in their near disastrous trip to Black Jack and her leaving for New Bern. It seemed so long ago. 

Heather walked to the front of the room and turned around to face everyone. Gray Anderson handed her a glass of water then stood off to the side, on the other side of the overused chalkboard that still tallied Jericho's dwindling supplies. She saw the Carmichael's, Harry and his wife and son, take seats in the front row. The rest of the seats were taken by some familiar faces, others she didn't know as well but had seen about town. Stanley, Mimi and Bonnie took seats near the back. She saw Jake stop in the spot where he stood at the meeting when they decided to go to Black Jack, standing with his back against the door frame near the door. Emily stood next to him, close enough that their shoulders were touching. People were talking quietly, though many of them were looking at her.

Heather was nervous, but decided to treat this like it was a class full of her elementary school students. She wanted to tell this story. People needed to realize that not all of New Bern was bad. It was mainly Constantino and the thugs that took over. People without food and guns couldn't offer much resistance. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"If you thought we had things bad here, it was worse in New Bern," Heather began and people quieted down to listen. "New Bern is larger than Jericho and it was already in worse shape than us when I got there. They had some food from the grocery storis and from Costco after the bombs, but like us, they didn't ration it at first, thinking that it was only a short time before the power would be back on and we'd get supplies."

That had been their biggest problem after the bombs. People were used to living on a few weeks or month's supply of groceries and no one rationed food in the beginning.

"By the time I got to New Bern, Mr. Constantino had placed the town under martial law. Anyone caught stealing food was left outside of town and told not to return. People were already starving and most people were suffering from malnutrition. Like us, they received food drops, but it didn't help much. They did have a good supply of fuel and coal, however, and were using that and other resources to trade for some food with other towns, but they still didn't have enough food to feed everyone."

Heather knew that Jericho had had it's own cases of malnutrition. Before she left, she had sent several of her students from school to the med center for treatment and they had tried to make sure the children got a hot meal at the school. Thanks to the farms and tight controls on rations, they had been able to make sure most everyone had some food, even though it wasn't a lot. They had eggs, milk, corn, potatoes, soybeans and wheat thanks to the many farms. Many people were growing vegetables in their houses. The bigger problem that Jericho had faced was the lack of power. Natural gas was unreliable and not every one had a fireplace in their house for heat. And then the temperature had dropped dramatically right at the beginning of December. They needed power badly. Thus, Heather had jumped at the possibility of making wind turbines.

"After I arrived, my friend Ted and I were able to convince Mr. Constantino to let us use the brake assembly plant to try and make the wind turbines with the promise that we would make one for New Bern for every one we made for Jericho. They hadn't had any power in New Bern either for months. It took a while to convince the engineers down there that it could be done, but we were able to get a prototype out and tested in a few days, then the one we sent back here to Jericho. Mr. Constantino wouldn't let me come back with the first turbine. He said they needed me at the plant still, even though Ted and the engineers knew how to make the turbines. I think he was using me as collateral for whatever deal he was planning to make here."

"Yeah, some deal." Gray said.

Heather nodded at Gray. Most of the Jericho men that had come to New Bern didn't know all the details of the deal, but Stanley had told her. "When the rest of the guys from Jericho showed up, they cracked down on security around them. They put all the men in one house under constant guard. They started escorting us to and from the plant. They said it was for our safety, but we never saw anyone hostile except for their own security forces. People were starving and weak, even those that worked in the factory with us. Most people only got a meal a day to eat and that was usually potatoes and bread or soybean or corn meal. Like here, people were trying to grow vegetables at home but no one was sharing food with others, especially us out of towners."

She was uncomfortable as she got to the next part. She knew there were children present, plus some of the story, she never wanted to tell. "One night, I had forgotten a design I had been working on at the plant and went back for it. No one saw me coming or going, but walking through the plant at night, I heard voices. Inside a small room deep inside the plant, there was a meeting with Mr. Constantino and a bunch of men, some of his security people. They were talking about dividing up Jericho and taking over the farms and mine and about how close they were to being ready with the mortars they were making to attack Jericho when it reneged on the deal that was made. They didn't see me, so I hid until they left and went back in and saw that they had mapped out Jericho and were dividing it up amongst themselves. When I went back the next day, I found where they were making the mortars." She had been tempted to tell Ted about what she had found, but she needed Ted to keep acting like nothing wrong was going on and to keep working on the turbines. Constantino was already suspicious enough of Heather and the Jericho men. Ted had never been good at acting innocent and she didn't want him to get in trouble.

"I went and found Eric and told him what I had found and we made a plan to put a stop to their mortar production." She left out the part of how Eric had disappeared. Eric had told the guys one night that he needed some alone time to think and had left one night. Constantino had gone ballistic when he heard the news and had sent search parties out looking for him with orders to arrest him if seen. Heather had thought Eric had left town when someone had told Ted that someone matching Eric's description had been seen and Heather followed the trail until she found him. She told him about what she had found and suggested they try and stop what New Bern was up to. She hoped that by giving him something to do to protect Jericho, it would wake him out of the funk he had been in. They made plans to destroy the mortar production. She had tried to act normal for the next two days while they worked out their plan and waited for the right time, then left early one morning to head to the plant with Eric.

Heather took a big swallow of water before continuing. "They caught us trying to destroy the mortar supplies and machines. They took us to the plant first aid center where they locked us up and a doctor examined us for injuries." She swallowed hard and trying to keep her voice steady. "They kept us guarded until Mr. Constantino came and told them to take us to the jail but before they could move us, the nurse there helped us escape again. We didn't get very far before they discovered that we were missing and began chasing us on truck and on foot."

Smiling, she noticed that the children, who hadn't been paying close attention so far now were listening closely. The fire blazing behind her had made the room quite warm and she took off her jacket. Gray pushed a table behind her and she set it down, then sat on the edge of the table, glad to rest her feet.

"We ran about a half mile before they caught up with us. They had dogs and guns and were shooting at us. Eric fell behind and told me to keep running. When I looked back, I saw they had caught him and they sent the dogs after me." She couldn't remember having ever run so hard. Fortunately, she and Ted had spent long summers running around in the back woods around New Bern and she knew the area around the plant a little bit. "I came to the old limestone quarry about a mile from the plant. Ted and I used to play there when were kids. The dogs and men were nearly on me, shooting as I ran. I came to the lake in the middle from where the quarry used to be. It was about a twenty foot drop to the water. They were still firing at me, I felt a couple bullets whiz past me and I jumped."

"See? I told you it would be just like the Fugitive," Mimi said to Stanley, loud enough that Heather was able to hear her and she smiled.

"Wasn't the water cold?" The Carmichael's son asked from the front row.

"It was freezing!" Heather replied. She had left her coat behind in the plant and had only been wearing an old shirt and sweater and jeans. Her clothes had weighed her down as soon as she hit the water.

"But didn't they catch you when you came up?" A boy asked. He looked like the brother of one of her students from school.

Heather laughed. "I'll let you in on a secret, as long as you promise not to tell anyone else." She smiled mysteriously.

"There's a big overhang underneath where I jumped. Ted and I use to go swimming there in the summer time. Many abandoned quarries get filled in with water. The water is deep and we found out that if you swim down under the water by the overhang, it leads to a cave from where they used to mine the limestone." She remembered hot days in summer when she and Ted used to jump off that very ledge into the water, competing on how long they could stay underwater or how far they could dive. "So when I hit the water, it was so cold I could barely breathe and it hurt. But, I stayed underwater until I was under the overhang and swam under water to the cave to hide."

Thus, the men above probably figured that she was dead and had been shot or had sunk to the bottom. She looked to the back of the room and saw an amused expression on Jake's face.

"Was there air down there? How did you breath?" the Carmichael boy asked.

"There's air down there. And the tunnel comes up a bit out of the water." She remembered coming out of the water, shaking so hard from the shivering that her teeth had chattered. It had been pitch black in the cave without any lights, but no one had followed her. "We used to pretend we were looking for lost gold down there. Or hidden pirate treasure." She and Ted had brought flashlights in waterproof bags, but they had never found anything more exciting than old rusted tools. "I waited for a long time. I was cold and wet and hurt from the run and drop into the water, but I waited for a very long time. When I came out later, the men were gone. When I went back to Ted's place, where I was staying to get a change of clothes, I saw that one of Constantino's deputies was staking out his place so I went elsewhere." She noticed that Jake gave her an curious look and looked like he might ask her a question and she paused. When he said nothing, she continued.

She glossed over the boring details, of how she had gone to the house of an old school friend and her husband. She remembered showing up wet and cold on Susie's doorstep pleading for her old friend to help her. She tried to stress the importance of her getting to Jericho for help and to warn them that New Bern was going to attack. It wasn't until she told them about what had happened at the plant that they had finally been convinced to help her. But she didn't tell the crowd about that part. They didn't have a working vehicle though Heather had tried to get theirs working for the better part of the next day. She had been able to hot wire their neighbor's truck the next morning, however. They had only been on the road for an hour when they were attacked and the truck overturned, killing both her friend and her husband and leaving Heather for dead. Susie and her husband had died, the military had told her. They had taken her to Camp Liberty to be treated for her concussion, bruised ribs and a mild case of hypothermia.

"The military on patrol found me and took me to Camp Liberty in Nebraska. I woke up in a medical tent and I told them about that New Bern was planning on attacking Jericho and asked them to come help. I watched them leave for here, hoping they would be able to stop things in time." She looked at Jake during this part and he nodded his approval to her changing the story. "They came back and told me they had stopped the battle and were setting up a base camp here. I kept asking them to let me go home. And eventually they let me come on their trip this morning." She also left out the fact that she had stowed away on a chopper to get here.

The next few minutes, Heather sipped on her water and answered questions, especially about Camp Liberty and any news from outside she had heard. She had almost forgotten how little Jericho knew about the outside world. Ted had had friends with ham radios who heard news on a regular basis. Several of his friends also went to Black Jack periodically and came back with updates. She said knew that that Mexico and Canada had closed their borders to refugees. And the Eastern states had been working on uniting again under the federal government led by the former Secretary of State who had been the one in seclusion when the bomb hit Washington D.C. and was the rightful president in the line of succession. She remembered the former secretary of state, who had also been a military general like Colin Powell once was. She thought he would make a good president. Unfortunately, he represented the Eastern government. Texas was still standing alone, stating they had the right to still be an independent Republic. The western government was organizing in Cheyenne, though several states, including New Mexico and California, had yet to sign on under the newly elected President Tomarchio.

She felt her own weariness as she sat on the table, and her body still ached from everything she had been through. She used to spend hours on her feet teaching. Telling her story and her adventures of the past few months had taken a lot out of her. She also recalled she had yet to have anything eat today, but she had gotten used to skipping meals.

At last, people began getting up to leave, some stopping in front to say a little something to her, give her a hug and their thanks for the power from the turbines, telling her little stories about how they were able to cook and have hot water and lights again. Their gratitude made her blush and made what she had gone through worth it. She wondered if this was how Jake felt after he had just saved the day.

Her gaze wondered to the back of the room where she saw Jake talking with Emily. Emily had stood beside him the entire time, not speaking, though she had asked a question about Texas. Roger had headed there, Heather knew.

Stanley, Mimi and Bonnie stopped near the back to talk to Jake.

"Ugh, I hate talking in front of people," Heather made a face as she walked toward their group.

"You did great." Stanley told her. They had become good friends while in New Bern, spending nights with the group playing cards and talking.

"Hey, Heather," Gray Anderson called from the front of the room. He had been talking to Harry Carmichael. "Do you think you could stop by the mine tomorrow? We'd like to look into making more turbines."

"Sure, be glad too." During her long hours at the Camp, she had been thinking about what it would take to make more turbines here in Jericho. The brake assembly plant in New Bern had been easy to set up, as it already had machines capable of shaping metal. They would need something similar here in Jericho. She knew that the few turbines that they had completed would not be enough to power the entire town yet, not to mention some of the homes and farms outside of town.

Most of the people had left the room, leaving Gray and Harry at the front still talking. The deputies Bill and Jimmy were standing in the hall talking with several people about looting and other town issues.

"You know, you just missed me and Hawkins at Ted's trailer," Jake said. "When we got there, Perkins was staking out the place." She heard regret in Jake's voice.

"Really?" Heather was surprised. She had seen Deputy Perkins there and hadn't waited around long to see if he would leave. "Well, I was cold and wet and didn't think I had much of a chance of getting inside with him there. Speaking of cold... Stanley, I need a place to stay and was wondering if I could stay at your place in exchange for work?"

"No problem, I could always use an extra hand. Plus, old Bessy is starting to act up again and could use your expert mechanical touch." Stanley gave her his goofy grin. Bessy was one of Stanley's old tractors. Some people named their cars. Stanley named his tractors.

"Hey, how do you get all the women?" Jake teased his friend.

"Maybe I'm starting a harem." Stanley quipped, raising his eyebrows. Mimi punched him in the shoulder.

"It's a bit of a hike out to the farm, Heather. We'll find someplace in town for you." Jake stated with a seriousness in his voice that surprised her. She noticed that Emily gave Jake an unhappy glance.

Stanley gave her shoulder an affection pat. "Well, the offer is always open if you need someplace. Can't have Mimi do all the spring planting alone."

"All right, farm boy. Let's go home." Mimi started pushing Stanley out the door. Stanley had spent many nights telling her all about Mimi and how mismatched they were yet they had fallen in love. She could see why and was happy for the couple. "Glad to see you alive and well, Heather." She said as she left. Bonnie waved at her as the trio left.

"Let me know if your family needs anything, Jake." Stanley called over his shoulder on the way out.

"Come on, let's go see my Mom. I know Eric will be glad to see you, too." Jake held his arm open to escort Heather out.

Emily walked with them on the way to the Green's house. Jake and Emily filled her in on a bit of what had happened in the past several days when New Bern attacked Jericho. Heather found it hard to believe that people she had known from New Bern had come to attack Jericho. She saw the pain on Emily's face when Jake told her how Jonah Prowse had reneged on a deal to help Jericho and stolen the mortars and launchers they had captured. She didn't know a lot about Emily's father, but knew that it troubled Emily a lot whenever he got involved in Jericho. She had also heard the whispers of gossip about Emily being from the wrong side of the tracks and knew that it bothered her friend.

A silence fell among them as they walked and Heather suddenly felt like the odd man out. She was never big on making small talk. And after all the talking she just did, she was glad to have a break.

When they arrived at the Green house, they found the living room packed with people.

(To be continued...)


	5. Chapter 5

Full Circle, Chapter Five

"You don't have to do that," Mary called from the kitchen doorway, carrying more dirty dishes in from the dining room.

Heather was washing dishes in the kitchen sink, needing something to do other that sit and talk. She had been at the Green house for the entire afternoon, retelling her story and giving what comfort she could to Jake, Eric and Gail Green. There was still a crowd of people in the living room keeping the family company, telling stories about Johnston Green and about Jericho. She felt rather left out, only having known the Greens a short time.

She had eaten well for the first time in months. There was plenty of food, much of it covering the dining room table. People had brought food over, like they often did when a loved one passed away. The Greens would have enough food to last a week. Jericho was a small town that still kept with such traditions and even with the hardship of rations, people had generously donated what little food they could.

"It's fine. I'm glad to have something to do." Heather answered. She was amazed to feel real hot water for a change. The Green house had power and a gas water heater. There had been problems at first keeping the gas working in town and they had obviously gotten that fixed while she was gone, likely needing electricity to power the gas distribution compressors. They had power now thanks to the wind turbines.

"Eric's really glad to see you. I think we all are." Mary picked up a towel and started drying the dishes.

"I just wish I could have gotten the military here sooner." Heather lamented, feeling the sadness hitting her anew. She found out that a teacher from her school had been shot and killed in the battle. She had retold her story to those at the Green house and Eric had filled in on his part of the story then he and Jake retelling about how they had escaped thanks to his father and Mr. Hawkins. She was getting tired of re-telling it already. She really wanted to put it all behind her.

"What you did was pretty brave. I don't think I could have pulled that off. Shoot guns at me and I'm cowering and crying like a little girl." Mary took a rinsed off saucer from Heather's hands and dried it.

"It is a bit of a motivator to run." And she had had a lot of motivation to run, not just the need to warn Jericho, but she didn't want to think about that. "I think I've had my share of excitement for the rest of my lifetime." Heather finished washing another plate and heard a chuckle from behind her. Jake was standing the doorway listening. He smiled sadly at her. He had changed back into his usual jeans and a t shirt since he got home.

Mary took the stack of plates she had just dried and put them away in a cupboard. "Hey Jake, need anything?"

"Nah, just wanted to talk to Heather. " Jake walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter next to Heather at the sink. "I checked with my mom and she said it would be okay for you to stay here."

Heather stared up at him in shock. "Oh no, I couldn't, Jake. Not right now." Not when they had just lost his father. It would be too weird. "I can stay with Stanley, or the Robinson's." She used to tutor their little girl and knew they had a spare room.

"You should stay here," Mary backed Jake up. "Power and hot water, I wouldn't turn that down. Besides, Eric's room is free." Eric had continued to stay with Mary when he returned, which was a good sign. Heather and Eric had spent long hours talking while in New Bern and he hadn't been sure about his relationship with Mary when he got back. Eric had given her a big hug when she walked in the door. She had seen the heavy grief on his face, but his eyes had lit up when he saw her. She was just glad that he had made it home alive.

"My mom could use the company and help." Jake said. "Please, stay. Then I don't have to worry about you so much."

Jake worried about her? Heather distracted herself from that thought by rinsing off the bowl she had just washed and handing it to Mary.

"Hey, anything I can do to help?" Emily entered the kitchen carrying her coffee mug. They hadn't had coffee in months, but Gail still had tea which everyone had been drinking regularly for the past several hours. Heather noticed that Emily had barely left Jake's side since they had arrived here.

"You can talk Heather into staying here," Mary suggested as she finished drying the bowl.

"Staying here? Whatever happened to your house?" Emily had overheard Heather asking Stanley asking for a place stay, so it surprised her that Emily was just asking now. Heather saw that she brushed against Jake as she walked past him. Emily handed her mug to Heather, who was still holding a dish rag at the sink.

Mary smirked. "I think they got a bit over eager when passing out empty houses to refugees."

Heather turned to wash Emily's cup in the sink. "There's a couple with a little boy staying there now. I don't need that big place anyway, not if we have families needing the space." And she winced inwardly, recalling that Emily probably still lived alone in her big house in the Pines. Her own house was tiny compared to that. She hastily added. "Just give me a room someplace warm. And anything has to beat Ted's trailer that I've been living in for the past months."

"Then good, you'll stay here. As long as you keep doing the dishes." Jake teased.

"You always did hate doing chores," Emily laughed at him.

"Keep this up and I'll put you to work at the bar." Mary told Heather, drying the mug and putting it away in the cupboard.

* * *

To Heather's surprise, Emily offered to go back home with her to help pack some clothes for her move to the Green's. Eric had insisted on walking with them, stating that they didn't let women walk alone after dark if possible. While Eric waited in her living room talking to the Owen family, Emily came with her to the bedroom to help her pack.

Heather dug out an old suitcase and duffel bags from her closet and began tossing in clothes. Emily had been in her house several times but never in her bedroom. She figured it looked shabby compared to the expensively decorated rooms in Emily's house. But they were her things, belongings that had been in her family for years and she was proud of them. She never had money to spend on new furniture or redecorating, not that they were high on her list of things to buy anyway.

"I'm glad you made it back okay," Emily started, helping her by refolding clothes as she pulled them out of drawers. "Jake and Eric said you were dead."

"Several times there, I thought I was a goner too. I think I've had enough adventure for now. I'm gonna stay at home and be boring again." She pulled out enough changes of clothes to last her a week or so, not that she had many clothes to begin with. Most of her wardrobe were outfits she wore for teaching and she wasn't sure she'd be doing much of that in the near future. Emily had told her that several retired teachers had come back to help at the school and taken over her class at school, for those students that did show up.

"Hah, you're never boring! They've all been talking about you since the first turbine came back." Heather saw that Emily was much better at folding clothes than she was. She tried to hide the fact that she was cramming clothes into her bags. "Jake said someone tried to pick you up as a hooker at Black Jack."

"Yeah, it was weird," Heather gave Emily an odd look. "I think I was the only girl there. I wondered why everyone kept staring at me."

"Was it like that in New Bern? Stanley said they hardly saw any women there."

"Well, they told me to never go anywhere without an escort. They said they were having a problem with rape and women disappearing." Heather recalled that she never saw that many women while she was there, either. And there was a reason, she found out later. She hadn't believed the rumors at first until they had captured her and Eric. She didn't like to think about that and changed the subject. "Em, Roger came to New Bern."

"He did?" A mixture of sadness and surprise crossed Emily's face. Heather was surprised none of the other guys that returned from New Bern had told her. But it was likely that there were too many other things going on.

"Yeah, he told me about what happened." Heather grabbed another belt out of her dresser. She was pretty sure that all her jeans would be baggy on her now. "He wrote me a note to give to you, but it's in New Bern somewhere, I'm sorry. He said how much he missed you and was sorry about what happened. He said he was going to try to get to Texas and find some of his family."

"San Antonio. His uncle lives there." Emily stared thoughtfully down at the clothes she was folding.

"Think you might try and go find him if we ever get things back to normal again?" Heather noticed that Emily was no longer wearing her engagement ring.

"I don't know. Maybe. He came back different. I think everyone that has come back to Jericho has. You have and he did. He wasn't the man I fell in love with. I don't know what I feel anymore." Emily sighed sadly.

That surprised Heather. She had noticed that Roger was not the same person she had once known when he showed up in New Bern. Before the bombs, Roger had always been busy traveling and working even when he came home to Jericho, busy on his computer or talking on his phone. He and Emily didn't socialize much in town and when they did, Roger seemed to stick out like a sore thumb as a big city guy. The Roger she had talked to in New Bern was more settled, caring and passionate about helping others. He talked endlessly about how wonderful Jericho was and how much he was going to miss it. He only stayed in New Bern for a few days before they kicked him out and he said he was going to find his family then see about helping refugees in Texas. She had always liked Roger, but had really been impressed with how much he had changed since he came back with the refugees. She wondered why Emily didn't feel the same way.

Heather packed the last of her jeans and a few sweaters in the suitcase and noticed it was full. "The refugees that showed up in New Bern were turned away or arrested. A rumor said that someone was selling them into slavery. Roger was doing great things for the refugees here."

"Yeah he did, but then he went crazy when Gray was going to send them away. I had never seen him like that. I think it scared me. And then he shot Gray and I didn't know what to do." Emily sat heavily down on her bed. Heather went and sat beside her.

"I'm sorry things happened the way they did," Heather tried to comfort her friend. "Roger said it was an accident. I don't think he would intentionally hurt anyone."

"I know, it just happened so fast. God, why do all the men in my life have to screw up?" Emily began to cry and Heather laid an arm across her shoulders, giving her a shoulder to cry on.

Heather said softly. "My dad used to say that sometimes you have to screw up first before you can figure out how to do things right."

"My dad has never figured that part out," Emily added with a little laugh that came out as half a sob.

"Well, there's a few slow learners out there." Heather pointed out. Emily did laugh at that.

"I think Jake has been finally getting it lately, though." Emily grabbed a tissue from her vanity and dabbed her eyes with it.

Heather nodded. The Jake she had seen since the bombs went off wasn't like the one that Emily and others had told her about. During their time in New Bern, Stanley, and even Eric once he started talking again, had told stories about their adventures as children and Jake's mistakes and how Jake had always ended up getting in trouble. Both had remarked that wherever Jake had been in the last five years had changed him. Jake had been consistently trying to do the right things since the day of the bombs and many people had noticed, including his father. But Heather worried about Jake. He seemed to always be running on full throttle and like a maverick out to single-handedly save the town. Living dangerously didn't always work out with a happy ending like it did in the movies. She didn't like to think about the close calls Jake had had already. Stanley had told her how Jake had almost died out on the road during the winter.

"Well, that's about all the clothes I should need for now. Guess I can always come back if I miss anything. I just need to grab some things from the bathroom and my office and I'll be ready to go." Heather zipped shut the suitcase and duffel bags.

"Heather, just because you're staying there doesn't mean Jake still likes you. He's always been that way, finding some nice girl to get close to then backing away. I don't think he meant to mislead you." Emily stated. "Besides, we somehow always end up getting back together again."

The rapid change in conversation took Heather by surprise.

"And you are now?" She held still, holding her breath, afraid of the answer. She had noticed how Emily hadn't left Jake's side much today. The two of them seemed to gravitate toward each other, like old friends. Or lovers, Heather sighed inwardly.

"I don't know, maybe. Jake is different than before. I think what has happened has changed him. I like the way he is now."

"So, all the bad stuff that happened between you two has been dealt with?" Emily had told her about how Jake had worked with her father and was involved in her brother's death. And that they had had other issues regarding Jake not wanting to settle down or grow up. Despite that, Emily had given her the green light to go after Jake before. But then Jake hadn't talked to Heather for a month after the kiss and now Roger was gone. It shouldn't surprise her that the two of them were rekindling their romance. She had seen how Jake and Emily were together and had heard the rumor that Jake and Emily had been rather cozy at Bailey's right before Roger arrived with the refugees. She tried not to feel jealous about it, but was worried about Emily's rapid change of attraction. Roger had only been gone for a short time and he and Emily had been a couple for years. She didn't want Jake to end up hurt either.

"We'll work on it. It was mostly me being angry with him about Chris and after all that's happened, I don't think I can stay that way, especially after seeing what an asshole my father still really is." Emily added, standing up and picking up one of the bags. "I think Jake feels guilty for letting you go to New Bern and thinking you died. He's just trying to look after you like he does everyone else."

"Emily, I kissed him and then nothing else happened. Jake and I are just friends now. I probably won't see much of him at home anyway." It was going to be awkward enough staying at his house, seeing his mother and knowing that his father was no longer there.

"I know, I just wanted to make sure you weren't still holding a candle for him after all this time. I don't want you to get hurt."

Heather added, perhaps a bit too quickly. "I'm fine, Em. Really. I'm over him and have been for a while. When a guy doesn't talk to you for over a month after you kiss him, I think that's a pretty clear sign that he's not interested. We're just friends." She had made a promise to herself, back when Jake had pretty much ignored her after their kiss, that she would no longer behave like a lovestruck teenager around him anymore. Though she had to admit she still had a glimmer of hope that maybe, especially after the way Jake had reacted to her leaving after Black Jack, that what she had said had sparked some interest in him. She tried to not read too much into Jake's behavior toward her today; his surprise and relief at finding her alive, how he had held her when he told her about his father and the way he had looked at her, and then how he had insisted that she come stay at his house. A guy feeling protective like a big brother would act the same way. She knew better than to get her hopes up much. Very few guys had ever found her interesting for long.

"Good, cause I was there when his father died. He took it real hard, crying in my arms," Emily said.

Heather recalled the way Jake had held her when he told her about his father's death. She had felt close to him then too.

Emily added, "He needs me and I want to be there for him. Jake's going to need some good friends."

Heather heard the unspoken sentiment. Friends like Emily to keep him company. Got it. Well, if that's what Jake wanted, then she would wish them both the best. If only her heart didn't ache at the thought. People dying, Jericho getting bombed by mortars, Roger leaving, Emily and Jake getting back together. What else had happened while she was gone? She suddenly felt very alone.

When they arrived back the Green house, all of the guests had gone home. Jake had made his mother go to bed and was tidying up the downstairs while Mary was finishing up in the kitchen. Emily started helping Jake as Eric carried her bags upstairs and showed Heather to his old bedroom at the top of stairs. Heather found the room to be quite comfortable with modest furnishings. It was obvious that Gail Green had remodeled the room as it showed very few signs of having been a boy's bedroom except for a few old trophies and photographs from Eric's years in school.

Eric gave Heather another big hug as he left to go home with Mary. Mary gave her a hug on their way out as well. Jake left with Emily to walk her home. Heather turned out the remaining lights in the house and left the front porch light on for Jake, as well as the light in the upstairs hallway.

Heather got ready for bed, feeling a bit strange being in the Green house, but it was nice to have hot water and lights to see by. She climbed into bed and lay wide awake, her mind racing over the happenings of that day. When she awoke early this morning, it was still dark as she crept into the helicopter. She would have never imagined ending up in the Green house in a warm bed, sleeping in the room next to Jake's bedroom. As she pondered the series of events that brought her here, she heard Jake returning home. She heard his footsteps on the stairs, which then paused outside her door for a long moment before continuing on down the hall to his own room. Sighing, she promised herself to just let things go between them.

(To be continued...) 


	6. Chapter 6

Full Circle, Chapter Six

"Jake." Gray Anderson nodded to Jake as he entered the mayor's office at Jericho's City Hall. Gray was seated behind the desk, the one his father had used for decades. It still felt odd seeing Gray there. Eric, the deputies Jimmy and Bill, and several men in military uniforms were present. "Shut the door behind you, please."

Gray waited until Jake closed the door before continuing. "This is Lieutenant Mike Williams, our new liaison from the government. This is Jake Green, Eric's brother and the one responsible for our patrol and helping lead our defense against New Bern."

"We've already met." Jake replied, shaking the man's hand. The officer was the one who had escorted him out to the military outpost to get Heather. Lt. Williams was tall with a buzz cut revealing a hint of black hair. The lieutenant was standing in front of the desk while one soldier was seated in one of the chairs, notepad and pen in hand. The other soldier stood near the door against the wall. Bill and Jimmy were behind the desk to either side of Gray while Eric leaned against the wall between the windows.

"Lt. Williams has some questions for us and requests our assistance on a few things as well." Gray explained.

It had been three days since his father's funeral and five days since his father died. Both he and Eric had been spending as much time as possible with their mother. But when Eric had informed him that Gray had wanted to see them both today, Jake knew he couldn't stay away from Jericho's business any longer. He was still tired and was not sleeping well which didn't help his mood any.

"You understand and agree that what we discuss here will remain strictly confidential?" Lt. Williams began. "No one beyond this room should know about what we are about to discuss. If you need a good cover story, we'll help you concoct one as long as we're on the same page."

That set Jake on edge immediately. He was already suspicious of this military based on what Heather had said and what his border patrol had been telling him. The military had added their own road blocks in addition to the ones Jericho already had.

"We have reason to believe that one or more terrorists that were involved with the bombs that went off might be in the area around Jericho." The lieutenant stated. There was a flurry of surprised looks exchanged around the Jericho men, though Jake tried to feign surprise as well. He knew that Robert Hawkins had been involved in the terrorist organization that set off the bombs, but even he had a hard time believing it. The lieutenant's words only solidified Hawkins' story but Jake was curious about how they knew this, though it might explain why they came to Jericho all of sudden. He hadn't had time to check into it since Heather told him about their change of plans.

"Terrorists in Jericho?" Gray asked, the shock evident on his face.

"Or in the surrounding area, perhaps in hiding." The lieutenant added.

"Is this why you have been making wide sweeps around the area and have road blocks on all roads leading out of town?" Jake inquired, with more vehemence that he intended. His border patrol had been checking in with him while he was home and told them that the military was stopping all vehicles coming and going just outside their own checkpoints. The military had also been asking many questions about town residents and any strangers in town. They had also been making wide sweeping searches around town, claiming they were searching for criminal activity. Jake didn't like it especially because he thought it went far beyond the need to secure and patrol the area.

Lt. Williams gave him a cold look and didn't answer.

"What kind of terrorists? Al-Qaeda? Islamic terrorists?" Bill asked. Bill always had an overactive imagination.

"Ones that may have been involved with the bombs. If you've heard any of the news broadcasts, the people they caught in New York City were Americans, two male Caucasians and one African American."

"Americans?" Gray was stunned again. Eric, Bill and Jimmy all looked concerned. It was hard to believe that Americans had been involved in nearly destroying the country. Most assumed it was one of the obvious international terror organizations or possibly a country unhappy with the United States, of which there had been a few in the past decade.

"We don't know much more than that." Lt. Williams paused briefly, shifting on his feet. "But we received an anonymous tip recently regarding Jericho. These people may have come into town recently, before after the bombs and might have been trying to blend in and look normal. You don't know anyone like that, do you? Any strangers that came to town? Any odd behavior?"

An anonymous tip, Jake wondered to himself. So this was probably why they had come to Jericho, Jake rationalized, but he wasn't surprised. Obviously, they hadn't found anything yet, or else they wouldn't have come to them for help. A long silence hung in the room. Jimmy Taylor looked at Jake, but he kept his face passive, only shaking his head slightly, but he was more worried about Gray's reaction. Gray knew about Hawkins. Gray, for once, had maintained a stone face, or maybe he was still trying to absorb the news that terrorists were in the area.

"We've had family members and refugees come from out of town." Eric spoke up.

"Anyone suspicious among them?"

"Not that we've been able to tell," Jimmy answered. Jimmy had been in charge of investigating all the refugees and keeping track of where they were staying. "We had one woman that may have been involved in a murder, but she left town after a few days."

"There was someone, a few days after the bomb. You guys remember?" Gray nodded to Jake and the deputies. "Said he came from Denver and showed up in Shep's truck, Died of radiation poisoning. Name was Victor something."

Eric shot him a look but Jake didn't react. Jake didn't want the military asking too many questions, like how they might have killed the man trying to get him to answer questions. Only he, Eric and Hawkins knew that.

"Victor Miller." Eric recalled. "We found a bunch of refugees he was with out at Bass Lake. They all died from radiation poisoning."

The soldier that was sitting in the chair holding the notepad began to hastily make notes. Jake noticed that Lt. Williams gave his brother an odd look.

"Is that the type of information you are looking for? " Gray asked.

"Exactly. Names, places, anything strange you've noticed since the bombs went off. We'll also need a place here in town to meet and talk with people."

"You can use the sheriff's office. We have interview rooms and even a jail you can use," the mayor offered.

"That would be perfect. Thank you." Lt. Williams replied with a warm smile.

Jake groaned inwardly. That meant the military would be here in City Hall, underfoot and watching everything that happened in town. He knew Gray would probably find that a relief, but Jake had learned during his five years away working as a contractor, that the military often had a bad habit of taking over and running things while those around them gave up personal freedoms, property rights and privacy. He already didn't like the direction that this was heading. His knew his father wouldn't have liked it either, despite being an Army veteran.

"We're also going to need maps and a full list of resources you have in town; mines, oil wells, water sources, power sources, evacuation plans, medical supplies and facilities, farms, businesses, manufacturing facilities, etc."

Jake saw that Gray seemed to be alarmed by that, no doubt thinking about his salt mine. Good, he needed to wise up a bit. Jake wasn't sure why they would need all that information, however.

Lt. Williams pulled a small spiral notebook of his pocket and opened it. "We also need to get statements from all those involved in the skirmish with New Bern. We have a few already, but need some more. Colonel Hoffman is trying to expedite getting Sheriff Constantino indicted for what he did and the president would like to use him as an example to discourage other towns." The president would be President Tomarchio, who was heading up this new Western government they had been told.

"I think we have a short list here." Lt. Williams glanced at the notebook in his hand. "Eric Green." He nodded at Eric. "Mayor Anderson, Stanley Richmond, the man who had the tank, we never got his name. We'd also like to talk to Heather Lisinski again, too, to get her formal statement. Apparently Sheriff Constantino mentioned that she was involved in some sort of criminal activity in New Bern with Eric here."

The sinking feeling in his stomach just got worse. They already knew a lot and that was before the interviews had started. And who knew what lies Constantino had been telling? Maybe that was why military had been suspicious of Heather when she stowed away in their helicopter to come home. Eric had gone out to the outpost yesterday with Heather to answer additional questions about what had happened in New Bern.

"They were making mortars to attack Jericho with," Eric jumped to his own defense. "We just tried to stop them."

"We'll get your full statements. I'm sure that will be taken under advisement." Lt. Williams replied.

"So what kinds of things can you do for us? " Gray asked. "We need medical supplies and food, fuel if possible."

"We can help with some of those things. But you do realize you are not the only town out here. Jericho seems to have survived fairly well and you should be proud. But I will pass along your needs to the colonel who will pass them up to the government in Cheyenne. We can also use volunteers in Cheyenne to help build the new government if you have anyone who wants a better source of food and shelter. We can take any refugees if they'd like to leave. We might be able to help them get back home."

They made small talk for a few minutes, but Jake wasn't paying attention. He was thinking more about how he needed to go warn Hawkins. It was only a matter of time before the military found out that he had arrived right before the bombs and enough people were already suspicious about him. Hopefully, Gray or Jimmy wouldn't tell them about Hawkins being FBI. He was surprised they hadn't said anything yet.

"Thank you for your time, Mayor." Lt. Williams offered his hand to Gray, who stood up and shook it. "And please remember, the information about terror suspects should not leave this room. It will only hinder the search if we scare them out. We'll be back tomorrow morning to begin working out the details of our next steps." He nodded to the soldiers with him and they began to leave the room. "Oh, and Jake, the colonel said he'd still like to talk to you when you have some time."

Jake nodded. "All right." He said a bit more tersely than he intended. He recalled that colonel had asked to talk to him when he had gone to the outpost about Heather.

Lt. Williams and his men had barely made it out of the front door of City Hall before Jake laid into Gray.

"What were you thinking letting them come and work from here?" Jake yelled, trying to keep his voice from carrying.

"Look Jake, I'm sure you're still upset about your father, but we need to cooperate with these people. They are the government and our only chance at getting help," Gray replied. The mayor sat back down in his chair, crossing his arms in front of his chest in a defensive posture.

"I'm not entirely sure they are going to be our saviors here, Gray. I don't entirely trust them." Jake walked over to the window and peered out. He saw the soldiers climbing into a Humvee parked down the street.

"Why not?" Gray didn't looked convinced. Gray seemed a bit agitated, probably worried about the fact that they had terrorists in the area. He didn't have the inside knowledge that Jake did. Jake had a pretty good idea that they were looking for Hawkins. He was more concerned about the military and what they intended to do.

Jake knew he couldn't tell him the truth, but opted for another tactic. "They won't tell us much about what's happening out in the real world. They claim to represent a new federal government, but only represent the west. What's going on with the Eastern states? And Texas? We might end up getting ourselves in the middle of a civil war if we're not careful. We still need to protect Jericho and continue to be independent." If what Heather had said was true, it was possible that the military never intended to come here until they got their so-called anonymous tip. That meant that they weren't really out here to help Jericho, but serve their own interests.

"I don't know, Jake. They are still the government and came to help us when we needed it. And if we have terrorists in the area, I would rather they deal with that instead of us." Gray leaned back in his chair just staring at him.

"Not so loud." Eric reminded them, nodding at the open door. Jake could see that there were several people across the hall in the police rooms, but not within earshot.

Gray continued, lowering his voice. "And we have had a lot of strange people showing up in the past months. Not to mention that Robert Hawkins is FBI and showed up right before the bombs went off. He told me and Jimmy that he was undercover investigating suspicious phone calls made from a pay telephone here in Jericho. I'd like for him to get involved and fill them in with what he knows."

"Hawkins is FBI?" Eric asked, surprised. Jake hadn't told Eric as Hawkins had asked him to keep what he knew between as few as possible. Obviously, Jimmy and Gray hadn't told him either. Jake didn't like keeping important secrets from his brother, but the less who knew about Hawkins, the better.

"Yeah, he asked us not to say anything," Jimmy reminded Gray, disappointment in his voice. "Remember?" Jake knew that Jimmy still wasn't all that thrilled with Gray as mayor.

Jake nodded, but hoped he could sell them on what he said next. "Well, if he is FBI and undercover, then he needs to be the one to talk to them. We probably shouldn't blow his cover." Jake wasn't entirely sure why he was protecting Hawkins. He knew he still didn't totally trusted him either, but his gut was telling him to tread carefully on this. They couldn't be sure who to trust anymore, especially after the last six months. But Hawkins had come through for him when Jake had asked for his help, he owed him for helping rescue them in New Bern.

"Why not? They're probably working toward the same goal. It's possible that most of the FBI doesn't exist anymore anyway." Gray played with a pencil as he leaned back in his chair. He looked too much like a businessman rather than a mayor.

Jake gave Eric a look that he had many times in the past. Support me on this, he pleaded silently with his brother.

"I don't know, something just doesn't feel right about all this." Eric began slowly, thankfully picking up on Jake's sentiment. "Let's not roll over and give them everything they want or could use. Help them, yes, but they don't need to run rampant over our privacy and take over running Jericho. I don't think people are going to appreciate having their town turned upside down on a hunt for terrorists. It will only scare people more and they are already suspicious enough as it is." Jake was proud of his brother. Eric was sometimes slow on the uptake, but hopefully, the manner of the military had made him uneasy as well.

Gray looked between Eric and Jake for a long minute before settling his stare on Jake again. "Jake, maybe you don't trust this military but they are from the government. I won't have this town suffer because we are not cooperating with them. They have food, fuel and medicine we desperately need. And they saved this town, don't forget."

"We saved this town, Gray, too and we still owe the people to keep it safe. Let's just not get ahead of ourselves. Look what happened when the fake Marines came to town. People will be suspicious if we just roll over again without looking like we are still here to take care of them." Jake felt his barely contained anger and frustration. He hadn't been entirely comfortable since Gray started running things, but he knew some of that was because he was more familiar with his father's style of leadership. He was still getting used to Gray.

"That is a good point," Jimmy said. Neither Jimmy or Bill had said much about all that was going on. Jake knew that Bill would probably back Gray, however.

"Let's give them the people they want to talk to and access to anywhere they want to search, but we should probably have one of us along when they interview and if they go door to door asking questions," Eric suggested.

"And don't go telling them all the town secrets and problems. They will come down with martial law if they think we don't have things under control here." Jake nodded at Bill and Jimmy. They bore the brunt of the town's unhappiness with everyone coming to them with crime issues and complaints. They had to look like they were all still in charge.

"All right, but let's see what they can help us out with as well." Gray reluctantly agreed.

* * *

"Jake!" A familiar voice called to him as Jake headed out of town hall. He still angry but hurrying. He needed to get over to see Hawkins. 

It was Emily. She had her worried face on. "I'm kinda busy right now, Em. What is it?" Jake stopped when she blocked his way down the steps.

"What were you talking with Mike about?" she asked him.

"Mike? Lt. Williams? You're on a first name basis with him?"

"Yeah, Gray asked me to show him around town yesterday. He got tired of me calling him lieutenant and asked me to call him Mike." Emily gave him her sweet smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief. It was the look that said she had been flirting. He knew it well.

He was annoyed that Gray hadn't mentioned that, though conceivably, Emily wasn't a bad choice to show the lieutenant around.

She asked, "What does the military want? I know you just had a meeting with them."

"They just want to know about Jericho, resources, things like that. And information about the fight with New Bern." Jake tried to keep his face from giving anything away. Emily was always good at telling when he was lying or fudging the truth.

"That's not what I'm talking about." A few people passed by them, close enough to overhear their conversation. Emily grabbed him by his arm and dragged him a few yards down the sidewalk toward Bailey's Tavern. "Look, I overheard what you were talking about in Gray's office. What's this about terrorists in the area? Is that why they are here?"

Jake raised his eyebrows in surprise. Emily didn't need to know about that. She must have been outside the door when Gray had raised his voice. "Nothing that concerns you."

"If it concerns my father, it concerns me." Emily yelled louder than she probably intended. Someone walking down the street glanced their way.

"Your father? What's he have to do-" He felt an odd sense of deja vu. They had had this conversation before, on this very street in fact.

"They are looking for terrorists, right?"

"Emily, not everything bad that happens around here is about your father." Jake looked around them and saw that no one was within earshot, but still spoke quietly. "Look, they think someone involved with the bombs might be in the area surrounding Jericho. No one else is supposed to know, but if it makes you feel better, I really don't think that qualifies as your father. He's a thug and into stealing, extortion and illegal trading, but things on the scale of national terrorism are a bit out of his league."

Emily looked relieved at his comments, but continued. "But what about what happened with New Bern? They are going to find out that he has mortars and men and guns."

"Probably, but wouldn't you like to see your father brought to justice for what he did... for what he's done? He left us high and dry, don't forget that." Jake retorted.

Emily fell silent at that, crossing her arms and looking off in the distance. "He never seems to get caught for what he does. People started avoiding me and talking behind my back after they heard about how he stole the mortars and guns. Parents have asked to move their kids to another class at school. I have barely talked to him in years and they are all treating me like I'm just as bad as he is again."

Jake knew from the past that it always hit Emily hard when her father started trouble with town. She was always trying to distance herself and remind them that she was better than that, and knew her engagement with Roger had been part of putting her bad family history behind her. But this was Jericho and people had long memories and kept grudges for just as long.

"Look, I'll do my best to keep Jonah from getting too much attention, but they will find out." Jake stated. "I think they are going to be too busy with other things. Jonah is not stupid. He will probably move on or be even more discrete."

"All right." Emily seemed to relax at his words. She smiled at him. "I came looking for you to invite you to lunch at my place since I haven't seen much of you lately."

"Can't, need to go check on something." Emily had stopped by the house to visit briefly during the past three days, as a number of friends of their family had. She had offered to stay and help out around the house, but they had discovered that Heather had already been doing much of that, usually early in the morning before they got up.

"Come on, Jake, I could use the company." She gave him her most adorable endearing look, one he usually couldn't resist.

"Sorry, take a rain check though?" he offered. He was tempted but he really needed to go and talk to Hawkins.

"Okay." Emily replied with a smile. He started walking down Main Street and Emily fell in stride with him. She took his hand in hers and he didn't pull away. Her hand was soft and familiar in his, bringing back memories. Hopefully, she didn't intend on following him. "How's Heather been since she's been staying at your place?"

Jake chuckled. "If you call it that. I've barely seen her and I spent most of the past two days home with Mom."

Emily had a look of concern on her face. "Is she okay? She seemed a bit down when I talked to her yesterday."

"I think so." The rare times he had seen Heather, Jake had asked her how she was doing and she had always said fine but little else. He had heard she had been out checking the wind turbines and spending most of her time down at the mine. "She's been working with Harry Carmichael seeing if they can make more wind turbines, since she's not teaching any more." He felt awkward talking about Heather with Emily, but wasn't sure why. He decided to change the subject instead. "Speaking of teaching, don't you have classes of your own to teach?"

"Lunch break. My next class doesn't start until two." The high school classes had stopped but parents had insisted on the younger children staying in school. Emily had joined the middle school teaching English to the younger students. She paused at the intersection that headed off toward her house. "Lunch tomorrow maybe? Or dinner?"

"Maybe." Jake shrugged but gave her a big smile. He wasn't sure what his schedule would be like in the coming days, especially if Gray and Eric expected him to help out at City Hall.

Emily gave him a quick kiss on the cheek then turned and walked down the street in the direction of her house. He watched her for a moment as she walked away, trying to figure out why she had been so nice to him lately.

He was careful to make sure he wasn't being followed on his way to Hawkins house. He took a path down several side streets making it look like he was just checking out the neighborhood. He saw a couple military trucks driving around town and waited for one to pass before he changed direction. At the last minute, he cut across a backyard to walk up to the old Thompson house.

(To be continued...)


	7. Chapter 7

Full Circle, Chapter Seven

When he arrived at the old Thompson house, no one answered the door right away. Jake had turned to start walking away when the door opened.

"Jake," Rob said from the doorway, his usual passive expression on his face. The man was good at acting like a perfectly normal next door neighbor. "What can I do for you?"

"We need to talk, can I come in?" It had been a few days since he had seen Hawkins. They had not had much time to talk since the battle with New Bern.

Rob checked around outside beyond Jake. "Sure, come in."

Inside, Jake saw numerous boxes in various states of being packed. Darcy Hawkins, Rob's wife, passed them carrying a box. She nodded to him.

"Mrs. Hawkins," he greeted her. He had never talked to her much, but he had seen her around town helping out at City Hall and with the refugees. He knew that she and the kids had been staying with Jimmy Taylor and his family, but Jimmy had said they had moved back home again.

She stared at him suspiciously at first then spoke. "I'm really sorry about your father. He was a good man." Mrs. Hawkins had genuine warmth in her voice and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you," Jake replied, appreciating her sincerity. 

"Let's go downstairs," Rob led him downstairs to the room in his basement where they had had their long talk a couple weeks ago. It seemed like years had passed since that day.

Rob closed the door behind them as they entered the room. Jake noticed that most of the room had been packed up as well. Just a few boxes, the laptop sitting on the desk, the bulletin board and the map stand remained along with a few lights. Jake took a look at the bulletin board and noticed a picture on it that hadn't been there the last time he was here. Valente, the tag read. Another photo had D.H.S. in the photograph. Department of Homeland Security? Jake glanced about the mostly empty room. Even the heavy safe was gone.

"You're moving, I take it?" Jake began, though it was an obvious question.

Rob sat down on the corner of his desk. "I don't think it's going to be safe for me or my family here anymore."

"Where will you go?" Jake felt the tension in his body and paced a few steps, trying to settle down. The meeting at City Hall had made him more nervous than he realized.

"I know of a couple safe houses." Rob answered. "We'll be okay. But you didn't come here to make small talk, did you?"

The man was good at reading people, he had to give him that. Jake shook his head. "I just came from a meeting with Gray and the military. They told us that they're looking for terrorists. Somehow they know that someone involved in the bombs is in the area. Any idea how?" 

After Rob had told him his full story, or at least as much of the story he was willing to tell, he had hoped Hawkins would be honest with him now. It was the first time he saw Rob react at all. The man was usually calm and collected.

"I think they traced me through the satellite." Rob pointed at the laptop. Jake knew Rob could use it to access the defense department network still.

"When you used it to spy on New Bern?" Jake asked. The reconnaissance Hawkins had provided had been invaluable at the fight at the Richmond farm.

Rob nodded. "I didn't think they'd move this fast. And I wasn't sure they would be connected to this new government. I heard they are claiming to represent the federal government of the West."

"That's what they say. Based out of Cheyenne under former Senator Tomarchio. They call him the new president." Gray had had additional meetings with Colonel Hoffman where the colonel had given Gray an overview of the new government. It still made Jake uneasy. It occurred to him that they could be looking for someone other than Robert Hawkins, but he doubted it. "Heather told me that they weren't going to come to Jericho at first, then they suddenly changed their mind. I think it was the day of the attacks. Think that's when they found you?"

Rob sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully before looking back at Jake. "I knew there was a risk, but we needed the satellite. But they only have a vicinity, maybe a few hundred square miles. They can't pinpoint me exactly. Besides, if this government is connected to those hunting me down, they are likely looking for Sarah rather than me."

"Her, right?" Jake pointed at the photograph on the bulletin board with a red X on it. Jake knew she had been among the refugees that had come with into town with Roger. Jimmy had told him that Sarah had left town, then Rob had said she was dead. "But you told me she was dead."

"She is, but they think she killed me."

Jake leaned back against the wall, drumming his fingers. "The military has done some pretty big sweeps of the area so far but I don't think they found anything. They have road blocks on all the major roads. They are going to start going house to house and interviewing people. And they are asking about newcomers and people acting suspicious. Gray and Jimmy know that you're FBI and-"

"They are bound to say something." Rob concluded. "Or someone up the chain might hear my name and put two and two together."

Jake nodded. He wasn't sure why they hadn't found about Hawkins yet, but perhaps the local military didn't have all the details and had been given general instructions. "They haven't yet. I think I can stall them for a bit. I'm trying to convince Gray not to roll over just cause the cavalry is here, but he's all gungho to help them out with whatever they want."

"I appreciate that. But I don't think they'll buy the FBI story for long once they find out I am here, especially if they have access to the Defense Department network and can run a background check on me. My credentials are not legit, but they might find out I am CIA."

"Gray told them he'd help them come up with a list of names to check out, people who showed up before and after the bombs. I think he might have thrown them off track when he mentioned that Victor Miller we found right after the bombs and-" Jake didn't get to finish his sentence.

Rob interrupted him. "Victor Miller? What did you tell them about him?"

"Just what we knew, the radiation and people we found out by the lake." He saw that Rob was looking at him oddly. "Wait, he wasn't involved in all this was he?" But when Rob didn't answer he suspected he already knew the answer.

"It's probably better I not tell you anymore, Jake. They are going to start asking questions and I've already told you too much. I warned you, once you knew, you'd be a part of this and it would be dangerous and there's no going back."

"But Victor was involved with this?" Jake never knew when to back out of things when he got too deep. "If any of this is going to come back to affect Jericho, I need to know what's going on. I'm not going to have Jericho turned upside down in a witch hunt looking for you." His words came out with more anger than he intended.

"All right. But I warned you about knowing too much." Hawkins took a big breath before speaking. "Victor was part of this. He was my lead contact with the CIA and knew the most about the operation as I reported to him. I called him when I knew that the bombs were going to go off. He went to Denver to save his family but didn't get them out of there in time. He died from the radiation, but it was probably a good thing he died. They would have got to him and killed him for what he knew. He's the one who warned me that there was a traitor in our CIA operation."

"Got to him? What do you mean? They are killing off people?" Jake asked, shock filling him. He was trying to keep up with what Rob was saying but found it difficult.

"Jake, they are covering their tracks and have been eliminating anyone that knows anything about the bombs including their families," Rob said with such honestly it scared Jake.

"And they're going to come after you next." Jake reached the next logical step.

"Once they figure out I'm still alive, probably, if they are indeed working with this government. That and they probably want their package back." Rob continued. "But I've been thinking since we talked. I also think that someone named Valente might be heading up this operation."

"This guy?" Jake pointed at the photograph of an older man on the bulletin board.

Rob nodded. "He was part of Homeland Security's Nuclear division and was involved in my CIA operation, but I think he might have also been involved in this terrorist plot from the start. I'm not sure."

"Homeland Security was likely involved in making sure those shipments from Russia safely arrived in the United States." Jake recalled Hawkins telling him about how the terrorists had gotten the materials for their bombs. He knew from working abroad that Homeland Security had taken over many of the high security operations for the federal government since its formation after 9/11. The contractors he had worked for were always having to get their security clearance and access approved by the new department. And he had heard that they had been looking for nuclear material in Iraq when he was there.

"Exactly." Rob nodded. "And uranium signatures can be traced. Darcy reminded me of that."

"And if they still have the records from the shipment..." Jake was starting to put the pieces of this puzzle into place.

"It could lead right back to Valente if he oversaw the shipment then tipped off someone on how to steal it before it made it to the storage facility in Oak Ridge. And now, I have the last piece of proof from that shipment."

"But what about the bomb they recovered from New York? Couldn't they trace the uranium with that one?"

Rob thought aloud. "Valente might have intercepted it in time when things were still in chaos in the East. He's smart and probably had some good resources within the CIA and Homeland Security. He was there when my cover was nearly blown with the FBI sting. Maybe he was even the one that tipped them off, trying to get me out of the terrorist cell. He and Sarah were the ones that encouraged me to try and stop the whole operation from the top instead of just stopping some of the bombs."

"Because he didn't think it would ever work and wanted the bombs to go off." Jake suggested.

"And then the timetable was moved up and I didn't even have a chance to get any further inside." Rob added. "The problem was I was too good at doing my job and got too close. But whoever it was, they didn't have full control over the CIA and had to keep up appearances making it look like I was still undercover and doing my job. I think Sarah was going to try and bring me into their little conspiracy club, but when I didn't take the bomb to Columbus, she knew I couldn't be trusted."

Jake shifted uneasily on his feet. "So why didn't he just have you killed if you were getting close or try and blow your cover again?"

"Probably because the CIA knew too much already. I kept status reports with my CIA lead, Victor. He knew what I was up to. If I suddenly disappeared, they would have started asking questions and probably would have raised the terrorism threat level to red and put all of the country on alert. I had photographs, names and faces, and I had already begun to distrust Sarah after I had nearly gotten my cover blown. They had the chance to take out at least some of the bombs but didn't take it, which I found odd and I included that in my report."

"So he banked on the fact that you would keep going along, trying to get higher up in the organization and find out what they were planning to do with the bombs and yet not be able to stop them anyway? What if you found out what was really going on and told the CIA?"

"I wasn't even sure what they had planned until they called us in to give us the bombs and our orders. I just thought it was a cell meeting and I was at last getting inside. I had no idea how they were actually planning on using the bombs until I got there. The cell leader said they had moved up their attack schedule and things were going down immediately."

"Probably also because of the joint session of Congress. And the president and most of his Cabinet was there." Jake remembered listening to it live when he drove out of town the day of the bombs and then the radio had gone out. "They took out most of the government with the bomb in D.C. and left the country in chaos."

"I tried to warn the CIA, calling several of my contacts including Victor, but it was too late." Rob said. "Sarah Mason had disappeared. I figured they had taken her to ensure I would do my job. Turns out, she was probably working with them all along, or somehow turned against me. She was sent out here to take the bomb back from me and eliminate all witnesses."

"Because you didn't take it to Columbus." After Hawkins had showed him the bomb, he had told him about Sarah's arrival in Jericho and how she had been killed at his place. Jake wondered if her name would come up as a person of interest in the military investigation.

"Where did you get this picture?" Jake pointed to the other photograph on the bulletin board, the one that looked like a satellite picture with a man resembling Valente in it. "From your satellite?"

"After Sarah was killed, I used her handheld computer to talk with them, pretending I was her and trying to give them back the package. Valente was the one trying to obtain it."

"And he still wants it." Jake guessed. "As evidence or to use it. Do you think he's still involved with the federal government and that's why they came here when they traced your satellite connection?"

"Possibly. Or Valente knows people in it. If he was involved in the attacks, he probably would make sure he was still part of the government that remained."

"God, what a mess." Jake ran a hand down his face. He felt like he had just gotten done running a marathon. This seemed too unreal. How did his tiny hometown of Jericho become so wrapped up in the biggest crime in the world? "Why would people do something like this?"

Rob sighed and looked just as depressed Jake felt. "Our intelligence reports guessed that they wanted to topple the U.S. government, reduce the population and then rebuild the country to their liking. We're not sure if any outside influences had anything to do with it, but there wasn't any usual buzz about an impending attack ahead of time, which is odd. It was as if whoever orchestrated all this knew how to avoid raising the usual alarms and had the ability to keep the plans under close wraps until the last minute."

A long minute of silence passed as Jake tried to digest everything he had just heard. He found it hard to believe that people would organize to kill so many people in the United States and nearly ruin the country with radiation as well. What kind of sick people would sink to such drastic measures? Sure, the United States had its faults, but why nearly destroy it? And it was likely that more than the bombs went wrong if nuclear missiles were launched, possibly against a foreign country and an EMP had gone off. He wished they had access to better information from the outside world. The news they received on the radio was mostly limited to Kansas with very little information about the rest the country. Thus far, not even this new Cheyenne government was very forthcoming with what was going on in the rest of the country, let alone the rest of world. It was another thing he didn't like about this government. He knew that keeping people in the dark made it easier to control them.

After he realized that Rob was just watching him carefully, he asked. "So you're taking your family to safety? When are you leaving?"

"Probably sometime tonight. I have a truck in the garage just about ready to go."

Jake knew that the military had locked down the area around Jericho pretty well. "The military has road blocks on all the roads leading out of town. They will stop you."

Rob just smiled. "I found a few routes they haven't been watching. My truck can make it out."

Jake knew some of those routes, too, from back when he was working for Jonah. They often used old gravel paths and trails to move goods without notice.

"What about the package?" He asked in a rush. It was still buried in Hawkins' shed as far as he knew. And the thought of a nuclear bomb sitting quietly hidden in Jericho scared him to death. Though he tried not to think about that, he often found himself lying awake late at night worrying about it.

"I was going to come back in a few days to move it, but we can do it tonight if you can help me. I can't take it with me right now. If I get stopped, they will search the truck and find it. You need to think of a safe place where no one will look for it or come across it by accident. Think you can find someplace safe?"

Jake's mind raced trying to think of where in Jericho they could hide a nuclear bomb. It was an outrageous idea, where would you hide a nuclear bomb? There were places he knew from childhood, both around town and out on the ranch. He could probably come up with a few ideas. "Yeah, probably."

"And I'll need for you and Jimmy to cover for me if you can, as long as possible. Tell them I am heading back to St. Louis to be with my wife's family."

Fortunately, Jimmy was naive enough to still go along with anything Jake suggested. He liked Jimmy but he was sometimes too nice for his own good.

"Look, I never did get the chance to thank you properly for what you did, in New Bern and the battle. Thank you." Jake held out his hand. Rob stood up to take his hand, shaking it firmly.

"You're welcome. You know, I've never known any place like Jericho before. If things were different, I would love to stay here with my family."

"Well, maybe if things blow over, you can come back. If there's anything I can ever do to repay you..." Jake's voice trailed off.

Rob stared at him for a long moment deep in thought. "There may be. I want to catch those responsible for the bombs and I think I might be able to." There was real conviction in the man's eyes. "I could use a guy like you. I need information most of all. I'm going to need to know how the military is doing here in Jericho and what they find out. They might lead us back to Valente, if he indeed is part of all this."

"I'll do what I can to help." He could use the distraction right now. His father's death was too recent. And if he couldn't get revenge against those who killed him, maybe he could help get to the bottom of who had bombed America and had brought it and the town he loved to its knees. "How will I get in contact with you?"

"Don't worry, I'll contact you. It's better that way." Rob smiled at him. "And Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"You better get good at acting like you don't know anything about what we just talked about."

(To be continued...) 


	8. Chapter 8

Full Circle, Chapter Eight 

Still going over his conversation with Rob Hawkins in his mind, Jake turned the last corner onto the street leading toward his house and stopped in his tracks. Parked in front of the house was his blue Plymouth Roadrunner. Sitting on the hood of the car was Stanley who had a big grin on his face.

"Missing something?" Stanley stood up in front of the car as Jake approached.

"How in the hell?" Jake wondered aloud. He and Hawkins had hid his car outside of New Bern not far from the trailer park where Ted Lewis lived. They hadn't had a chance to go back for it when they fled New Bern. He figured he would go and see if it was still there one day soon when he had time.

"Ted Lewis found it, hot-wired it and drove it here. He wanted to get out of New Bern pretty bad. Haven't the foggiest idea why." Stanley said with a chuckle. "He showed up at the border patrol near my place. The military gave him a rough time about getting through, but when he said it was your car, they let him in once I told them it was okay. Figured you might like to have it back."

"Ted is here?" Heather would likely be glad to see him, but Jake tried not to think about that. Heather and Ted had been living together in the same trailer in New Bern, another thought he tried to forget. Jake fondly caressed the hood of his car.

Stanley was watching him carefully. "Yeah. I think Ron Barnes was taking him to find Heather. Your mom said she hadn't seen her all day. Are you sure she's staying here?"

"Yeah, she stays here. I think." The rare times he had seen Heather, they usually passed each other coming or going. Yesterday morning, he had caught her coming out the bathroom after she took a shower. He had only been wearing his pajama bottoms and Heather had blushed adorably when she saw him and stammered good morning before hastily ducking into Eric's former bedroom. Her door was shut when he went to bed late at night and she would usually be gone by the time he got up. His mom had pointed out that the dishes were always done and a magical fairy must be helping with the laundry and other cleaning. He thought he occasionally heard her voice talking to his mother in the mornings, but by the time he came downstairs, she was already making a hasty exit out of the house. They ate dinner together, but Heather didn't talk much and usually disappeared back upstairs after helping clean up. He was starting to believe that she was avoiding him.

"I'm glad she made it back. She kept our spirits up when we were in New Bern. And I should warn you, she plays a mean game of poker," Stanley said. "How are you all holding up? How's your mom? She looked pretty tired."

"Taking it pretty hard still." Jake answered. "We all are." His mother was the strongest woman he knew, but she was having a rough time since his father died. His parents had had one of the best marriages he had ever known. He knew she was not sleeping well and he sometimes heard her crying at night. Both he and Eric tried to make sure she was rarely alone. Today was the first day since his father died that both of them had been gone from the house. Gail's friend Carol had come over for tea and to keep his mother company today.

"Well, let me know if you guys need anything." Stanley offered. "Would love to stay and chat all day, but I better get back to the farm. Mimi will never let me live it down if she finishes all the plowing by herself."

That made Jake almost laugh, but he just didn't quite have it in him yet.

"Wanna ride back?" Jake offered. He didn't want to use the gas, but he could use the distraction from the jumble of thoughts in his head about terrorist plots and nuclear bombs.

"Sure."

Jake grabbed his spare set of keys from the house and a minute later, he had the car fixed from the hot-wire and the engine started with the key again. The sound of the purring motor was music to his ears. He was glad to drive his car again, even if was only for a few miles out to the Richmond's. The car had been such a big part of his history.

By the time Jake got back home again, it was still only mid-afternoon and a few hours yet until dinner. They still had food from what everyone had brought, saving his mother from having to worry about rations, but she reminded him this morning that she still expected him to show up to eat as a family. Jake considered continuing his work around the house for the rest of the afternoon, hoping to distract himself from his troubled thoughts. He wanted to start building cold frames for his mom to use for growing vegetables and had already set aside the materials he would need for it. For the past several days, he and Eric had been fixing things their father had let slide as well as sorting through electronics that no longer worked. They also helped tune the house for better use of power. There was a crew of volunteers that were going house to house to help optimize each one for minimizing the use of electricity so that the wind turbines could supply power to more houses. Even so, the power was sometimes unstable, especially if there wasn't a lot of wind. Thus, any little bit they could do to minimize the power demands of a house, the better for everyone, at least until they could make more wind turbines.

Parking his car in the drive way, Jake stared up at his house. He remembered when he had driven back here on the day of the bombs and saw his family for the first time in five years. He had been angry and naive then, still struggling with his failures. His father had been disapproving and had dismissed him. What he wouldn't give right now to have his father back, even as angry as he had been that day. Jake sat back in the car seat, pressing his fist to his lips, trying to hold back the tears that came too readily nowadays. The grief and anguish came flooding back. They wouldn't see him at the breakfast or dinner table again or listen to his loud snoring at night. The lack of his father's steadfast presence in the house was painfully evident.

Sighing, he got out of the car and headed inside, making a mental note to himself to set his alarm clock for the time he and Hawkins had agreed to meet tonight. In the meantime, he had to think of a place to hide a nuclear bomb.

* * *

Heather Lisinski was a light sleeper. Sleeping in a new place always took her a while to get acclimated enough to sleep well. An unfamiliar noise here, the wind blowing, a tree branch brushing against the house were all known to wake her. And her dreams recently frequently ended up in nightmares, which was about the only time she seemed to sleep deeply. Plus, they usually resulted with a side effect of occasional reminders during her waking hours of things she didn't want to think about. Yet, something had woke her up tonight. She sat up in bed and looked around her bedroom, still trying to adjust to her new surroundings. It was dark, though faint moonlight streamed in from the windows. There were no street lights to help light the room, though the Green house did have power thanks to the wind turbines. They conserved power by turning everything off at night except for the heat. Instead, she listened intently for any more sounds that might clue her in to what woke her up. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark. 

Heather had been staying at the Green house for almost a week now. She was sleeping in Eric's old room, a small but quiet room near the top of the stairs. The bed was comfortable and the room was warm thanks to the gas heat that they had gotten working again. She felt like she was staying in a four star hotel compared to her sleeping arrangements of the past months. Ted's trailer had been cramped and cold, even though he had let her sleep in his bedroom with the space heater while he took the couch.

There was a noise outside her door. This one she recognized as the sound of the stairs creaking. Maybe it was just Gail getting up. She knew Jake's mother had not been sleeping well either. Curious and now wide awake, Heather got out of bed, peaked out of her door and considered offering to keep Gail company if she wanted. But when she looked down the steps, she saw the familiar silhouette of Jake moving quietly down the stairs. Now where was he going in the middle of the night? At least, she was pretty sure it was the middle of the night. A moment later, she heard the sound of the front door opening and closing.

She had barely seen Jake since she starting staying here and that was mostly on purpose. Feeling like an intruder in their house during their time of grief, she had kept herself busy since she returned from New Bern. She helped around the house early in the morning before Gail and Jake were up then headed out for most of the day. There were wind turbines to check and at least five people had asked her to help fix their old cars and a couple of tractors. Since she got back, she had walked around town seeing old friends and students and checking in with the workshops they had been having at the schools and the church. Since several of the retired teachers had taken up teaching at the school again, including her class, she no longer had a teaching job for now. But she had more than enough to do, especially since she had been spending long hours with Harry Carmichael down at the salt mine office going over the manufacturing process for the wind turbines. Jericho still needed more turbines to fully power the town and outlying farms. She was glad for the work, as it distracted her from remembering the bad things that had happened and she had seen in New Bern. She had also had a brief session at the military outpost with Eric when they had taken a brief statement about their time in New Bern and asked them more detailed questions.

Then Ted had shown up today making her day. She had been worried about what might have happened to him, especially after hearing Jake's story of how Ted had helped him and Hawkins. When he had appeared at the salt mine machinery room today, she had jumped into his arms, hugging him fiercely. She was glad when one of the mine workers had offered Ted a place to stay. Between the two of them, she felt sure they could start making wind turbines in Jericho, if they could find a place to make them. Harry had suggested checking out a few places around and outside of town to see if they could find a possible manufacturing location.

Heather gave herself a mental shake from being lost in thought and went downstairs to look out the front window. To her surprise, in the moonlight she saw Jake getting into the passenger side of an old pickup truck. In the back of the truck, there was something covered in a tarp. The lights on the truck were off. Whatever Jake was doing, he obviously was trying to avoid notice. So who was driving the truck and what were they up to? The truck turned around in the street and started heading west. She couldn't see well enough to see who was driving. The truck reminded her of her old truck Charlotte, which had been damaged in the mortar attacks. She hoped that she might be able to fix it one day, perhaps if they could also start making metal parts in Jericho as well. She had mentioned that as an idea to Ted to consider along with making wind turbines. Jericho could use a way to make things such as nails and parts for cars and tractors to replace the things that they could no longer get from outside world.

Going back to bed, she pondered where Jake might be going in the middle of the night. She knew he often went out to take a shift on the border patrol, but he usually walked there. It could be that there was something wrong happening in town and he was going to check on it. But the thought crossed her mind that maybe Jake was going out with Emily someplace and just didn't want other people knowing. Emily had said they were getting back together, yet Jake had been spending most of his time, including evenings, here at the house with his mom. For the past few nights, Heather would eat dinner with Jake and Gail and help clean up afterwards before heading up to her room to read the books on manufacturing she had borrowed from the makeshift library at the high school. She wondered if Jake was up to no good again, like he had in the past. She had heard stories from Emily, but mostly from Stanley and Eric about Jake's former life here in Jericho. Most of it was not good, making her wonder what had happened in the past five years while Jake was away that had changed him.

Long minutes passed as she lay in bed, thinking and worrying about Jake. Eventually, she dozed off to sleep again.

The sound of running water woke her up again later. Someone was taking a shower. The bathroom was two doors down from her own room. It was still dark outside. She knew that Gail had her own bathroom so it had to be Jake, likely back from wherever he had gone.

The next morning, Heather stuck around a bit longer helping Gail make breakfast. When Jake came downstairs, she noticed that he looked tired. She hoped he might mention something about where he had gone the night before. They all made small talk around the breakfast table, talking about the weather and the military and spring planting. She saw the lines of weariness in Gail's face and knew she hadn't slept well the night before either. She did notice that Jake gave her several curious looks over the table, however. After the dishes were done, she left out the back door, heading back to the mine to find Ted. She reminded herself that she was just a guest in the Green house and whatever Jake did in the middle of the night was his own business.

(To be continued...)


	9. Chapter 9

Full Circle, Chapter Nine 

_One week later_

"What's all this?" Jake asked as he entered the dining room of the Green house. There were electronic parts all over the dining room table. They looked like pieces and parts from VCRs and maybe a DVD player. A number of tools laid scattered about as well. He also saw his old television from his bedroom sitting on the far end of the table. His mom sat at the head of the table reading a How To book on VCR repair.

"Heather's trying to fix my VCR. She went downstairs to get a soldering iron, mumbling something about needing to replace the loading motor and power supply," Gail replied, her amusement evident in her voice.

"I thought everything was fried by the EMP." Jake picked up a disconnected electronic board and noticed it looked intact before dropping it back on the table.

"Some things, not everything. If it wasn't plugged in, it had a better chance at surviving. Heather thinks she can mix and match a few pieces and get a VCR working. I'd love to watch some of my old movies again."

Jake had to admit being able to watch movies again would be nice, especially now that they did have power. He knew his mother had a collection of classic movies on video tape. They used to get her one every year at Christmas and for her birthday. Some small appliances still worked, he knew. His old television from his bedroom and the old one from the basement were both still working, but the living room television was dead. But they hadn't been able to pick up any television broadcasts, even when he hooked up the old television antenna on top of the house.

"How was dinner with Emily?"" Gail asked, thumbing through the book and glancing at him.

"Fine." He felt a bit uneasy talking about Emily. She invited him over for lunch or dinner frequently. He felt awkward eating in the expensive house that Roger had bought. It reminded him of how he had never been able to find a decent job after he came back from flight school and had ended up sinking further and further into trouble instead. But he enjoyed reminiscing with Emily and it was nice to have the company of an old friend. It was almost like the old days, but he always felt like something was missing.

There were light footsteps behind him and Heather entered the dining room carrying the soldering iron and a handful of wires.

"Hey." Heather greeted him before sitting in the chair on the long side of the table. In front of her, his parent's old VCR had been laid out, its inner workings exposed and various wires and parts pulled out.

"Hey. Trying to fix the VCR?" Jake stepped over to watch what Heather was doing.

"Trying is the operative word. I make no promises." Heather picked up the soldering iron in one hand and showed it to him. "This is one of those cold-heat soldering irons. Sure wish I had had one of these when I was a kid." She plugged in the AC adapter for it to a power strip that lay across the table and was plugged into the nearby wall.

Jake tried to imagine a young Heather working away at fixing home electronics and found the thought intriguing. He watched as she used the soldering iron to connect a part back in place, then went to work feeding in the power connectors, soldering them back in place as well.

A few minutes later, Heather had the VCR put back together and plugged it into the power strip where the television was already plugged in. She powered on the VCR. The device lit up. "Well, that's a good sign."

She picked up a video tape, one of his mother's favorites, Casablanca, and pushed it in and the VCR accepted it without ejecting it.

"Cross your fingers." Heather pushed play. Gail set down the manual and looked up at the television.

Nothing showed up on the screen, though it appeared and sounded like the tape was playing in the VCR.

"Well, drat." Heather looked thoughtful for a second, an adorable expression where she chewed on her lower lip. "Oh, I know what it probably is." She powered off and unplugged the VCR and took off the top again. It took her several more minutes to replace another part using one that was sitting on the table, change out a wire and put it all back together again. Pushing play again, they were rewarded as sound blasted from the small television and the screen displayed the opening credits of the movie. The look on his mother's face was priceless. Jake was impressed.

"You did it! You have no idea how wonderful this is!" Gail exclaimed, standing up to give Heather a hug. "Think you can hook it up to the big TV from the basement?"

"Sure, but just make sure you unplug it when you're not using it. I'm not sure how stable the power is coming in from the turbines and who knows if I can ever find more parts."

His mother put Jake to work moving the old television from the basement upstairs to the living room to replace the broken one. He needed the hand truck from the garage to be able to move the heavy television up the steps. He moved the broken television back to the basement where Heather said she could use it for spare parts. By the time he was finished, Heather and his mother had cleaned up the mess on the dining room table, filling several boxes worth of working and non-working parts. Heather let him do the honors of hooking the newly repaired VCR to the old television making him feel like the man of the house again. Soon they were all watching Casablanca together as darkness fell outside. Heather curled up on the sofa opposite of his mom, while Jake sat in a nearby armchair.

Jake spent a better part of the time while watching and listening to the movie looking at Heather and thinking about the past week. He still hadn't seen much of her recently, though she had started helping his mom with the cold frames once he got them set up in the backyard. He had found some old windows in the garage and used that for the cover on the small structures made of wood and old cinder blocks. He had borrowed a truck to bring over hay and straw bales from the ranch to help insulate the frames. Heather, while claiming she didn't have a green thumb, had offered suggestions on how to optimize the set up and even had some ideas on how to make it a hot bed through using manure from the ranch, heat from hot water from the house or even solar power long term. He was amazed with her technical knowledge and curious how a school teacher knew so much. He knew she was still busy working at the mine with Ted and Harry, whereas he had been keeping occupied helping at city hall setting up interviews and with the house to house searches the military had started recently.

It was rather late by the time movie was over. As the credits rolled past on the screen, Gail left to head off to bed, giving Heather an affectionate pat on the leg as she passed. "Thank you again, dear. And leave the dinner dishes, I'll get them in the morning." His mother kissed Jake on his head as she walked past. He gave her hand a quick squeeze and then she was gone.

Jake stared at Heather as she continued watching the credits until the very end. She got up to press the rewind button on the VCR. He thought she looked cute in her t shirt, jeans and socks. They made her look younger, like she was barely out of high school. Her hair was mussed and fell in her face as she bent over.

"Thanks for doing that. It meant a lot to Mom." Jake told her. He was glad to see his mother relaxed and content for once.

"It was no problem." Heather gave him a smile as she stretched, then yawned, covering her mouth. "Sorry, it's passed my bedtime."

Heather usually went to bed and got up early, he knew. Jake was a night owl, which was probably why he never saw Heather that often. She was usually out of the house at the mine talking turbines, helping out at the workshops or out fixing things, which encouraged him to finally ask. "So tell me, where did you learn to to do things like fixing cars, VCRs and outdated ventilation systems?" He remembered how she tried to fix the air system in the med center's fallout shelter.

The VCR finished rewinding the tape and clicked softly.

"Home ec class." Heather bent over and pressed eject on the VCR and the tape popped out. Jake got an intriguing view of her rear end. She put the tape in its sleeve cover and left it on top of the VCR.

"Come on," he said. "Even I can lie better than that."

She turned off the VCR and television, unplugged the VCR, and turned around to face him, giving him a sad smile. "My grandfather was the local repair guy. He used to fix lawn mowers and tractors, appliances, radios, whatever people brought by. I used to help."

As far as he could remember, this was the first time Heather had mentioned anything about family. Jake realized that he really didn't know much about Heather's past other than she had grown up in New Bern.

Heather started walking toward the stairs. "Night, Jake."

Then he remembered. "Heather?" Jake glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Yeah?" She stopped not far from his chair. He could reach out and touch her if he wanted. And he so wanted to.

"They want to interview you soon." Today, he had seen that her name was coming up in the schedule of interviews. He had told her last week that they were probably going to want to ask her more questions about her time in New Bern. They had asked her questions previously, in an informal matter with her and Eric present, gathering initial information about what had happened in New Bern. Heather's more in-depth interview would probably be sometime this week depending on how long the other interviews went. He was scheduled to give his own tomorrow. "They want more detailed information about your time in New Bern. Will probably be in a couple days."

"Okay. Just let me know when." Heather said, though she sounded apprehensive. Jake glanced at her face but didn't see any visible reaction. She turned away from him. "Night"

He realized that tonight, in all the time Heather had been staying here, was the longest they had spent together in the same room. Not only that, but he had liked it.

* * *

Jake had fallen into a deep sleep that night after watching the movie with his mom and Heather. Several hours later, a scream woke him startling him awake. At first he thought he had imagined it. But a second later, he heard faint cries. Grabbing his gun from the nightstand, he jumped out of bed and opened his bedroom door enough to peer out into the hall. The hallway was dark and quiet. He pondered for a moment that maybe his mother was watching another movie as he knew she hadn't been sleeping well. His parents-no, correction-mother's bedroom door was shut as was the door to Heather's room. The bathroom door was open. The downstairs looked to be quiet as he stepped out, scanned the area with his gun leading the way and checked down the steps. He knew this house well and even in the darkness, as his eyes adjusted, he couldn't hear or see anything else that would indicate that something was amiss. 

The cries came again. They were coming from Heather's room.

Quietly, he padded over to her door and listened. He didn't hear any sound of voices or of a struggle. Heather was crying out in her sleep, possibly having a nightmare, he figured. Unsure what he should do, Jake paced back and forth outside her door. The coolness of the night hit his bare chest and legs. He only wore his old pajama bottoms when he slept.

"No, please, don't, please!" he heard Heather crying out. There were more cries but he couldn't make out what she was saying. She was sobbing, sounding afraid. The sounds pierced his heart and he felt the urgent need to comfort her.

Jake listened and waited for long seconds, holding his breath. She continued to cry. Sighing, he couldn't take it anymore. He knocked softly on her door, but there was no response. He opened the door slowly. In the middle of the bed, Heather was tossing and turning in her sleep. The blankets lay around her waist. He could see her arms and face, her skin pale where it wasn't covered by the nightgown she wore, her hair in disarray. Her eyes were closed but he could see the anguish on her face dimly lit by the moonlight streaming in from the windows.

He set the gun down on the nearby dresser. Then he was beside her, lifting her into his arms, pulling her against his chest. Her body was hot and taut with tension from her nightmare. She was breathing heavy.

"No, no, no!" she called out, struggling against him, her hands pushing against his chest. "Please, let me go!"

"Sssh, it's me, Heather," Jake whispered against her hair, rocking her gently. He made soothing murmurs against her temple and held her tight. Long minutes later, after several bouts of crying as he consoled her, he finally felt her body relax. She didn't wake up, but settled back to sleep, her eyes still closed. Her face was damp with tears. He felt her breathing become slow and steady again. She felt so small and fragile in his arms, her skin was as soft as it looked. Kissing her softly on the forehead, he laid her back on the bed, covering her with the blankets again.

Running a hand down his face, Jake sat in the chair beside her bed to watch her sleep. She had curled up on her side facing him. Her skin looked soft and smooth in the moonlight. The nightmare had passed and her face was relaxed and peaceful while she slept. If he listened closely, he could hear her breathing, slow and even as she slept.

He wondered what her nightmare was about. He knew so little of her background and yet she was staying under his roof. As he stared at her, he realized he was worried about her. But worse, deep inside of him, he was afraid that Heather was getting under his skin and had been since the first day they met. And he wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

Jake had been intrigued by Heather from the first. Here was someone smart and attractive and new in his hometown who didn't know about his sordid past and how much of a screw up he had been. He had enjoyed flirting with her and their times spent together helping Jericho in the early days after the bombs. Heather had been calm, collected and smart, amazing him with her knowledge and optimism. And she had an air of sweet innocence about her that he found endearing. He had seen the interest in her eyes and even Emily had told him that Heather had been asking about him. And then Heather had kissed him and knocked him for a loop, scaring the daylights out of him. He hadn't realized that he had been falling for her and he hadn't been sure what to do. He had been so busy protecting Jericho and trying to help his father that romance had been the furthest thing from his mind. He realized that Heather had only seen him during the best of times, being the daredevil hero. He didn't want to disappoint her when she eventually learned what a screw up he really was. So he had done what he did best, he had run away from dealing with it and ignored what had happened.

He was afraid of getting involved with someone new, of not knowing what the future might hold. At least Emily knew him, the good and the bad. He had nearly ruined that when Chris had been killed and Emily had found out that he was doing more than just driving trucks for her father. Emily had told him that she would be there for him as he dealt with the death of his father and she had been a good friend, letting him talk about his father, knowing that his relationship with his father had always been rocky. But while it was comforting to have her friendship again, he wondered what had happened between them that he no longer felt the blaze of passion that they once had.

Passion that he felt when Heather had kissed him. And then he had avoided her when he returned from getting the medicine for his father in Rogue River. He had been busy, but noticed she wasn't around as much anymore either. He should have gone looking for her, like he should have gone to New Bern to get her when she didn't return in a few days as promised. But she had been resolved to help Jericho and he had to honor that. He had been worried when both Eric and Heather hadn't returned from New Bern. And then Eric had told him she was dead and he had felt the loss like someone had hit him. His buried feelings had all come back again and he felt her loss even more, knowing that he had ruined things between them and he had never taken the chance to see if they could build something between them.

So caught up in the pending battle with New Bern, he had promised himself to go back once things calmed down and find out what really had happened to her. But then Heather had shown up in that military tent alive and well and looking brave and radiant, reminding him of what an amazingly strong person she was and how attracted he was to her again. She had comforted him when he told her about his father and had reminded him that he had done the right thing trying to protect Jericho by fighting back, even when the odds were against them. Her story about her escape from New Bern had scared him to think she had nearly gotten killed, but she had been smart on her feet and was a fighter. She had been trying to help Jericho as hard as he did. When she needed a place to stay, he knew he didn't want to let her get too far out of his sight again and was glad that Heather agreed to stay here.

But Jake had noticed something since she returned. Heather no longer seemed as enthusiastic. Her time away had changed her, much as it did with Gray and others who had been away. Even Stanley had seemed affected by his time in New Bern. Heather hadn't spoken much more about her time in New Bern since she had told her story at town hall and here to his mom and Eric. He was pretty sure she had been avoiding him, too, not that he could blame her. He had messed things up with her, he knew, but wasn't sure what to do about it. He knew they were probably better off as friends. Heather didn't seem like the type that would settle for a little romance and flirting, at least not for too long. And he wasn't sure he was ready to get involved with anyone still, not with everything going on. He didn't deserve someone like her, especially not after everything he had done. Not when he had no idea what was going to happen in the future. If things ever returned to normal, there might be questions about his past. And then there was the fact that he had never held a real job down in his entire life. What kind of life could he ever offer anyone?

But a little voice in the back of his head kept telling him to not shut the door yet. He stared at Heather sleeping for a while, pondering these things. Long minutes later, Jake reluctantly went back to his own bed.

(To be continued...)


	10. Chapter 10

Full Circle, Chapter Ten

Jake had set his alarm to get up early, guessing at the time that Heather usually got up. He wanted to make sure she was okay. He lay in bed for long minutes listening and thinking, and struggling to stay awake. He never heard an alarm from Heather's room, but his efforts were rewarded when he heard the sounds of Heather leaving her room and taking a quick shower in the bathroom. He tried to not think of her pale skin underneath the blast of the hot water, in the same bathroom and bathtub where he took his shower every day. After he guessed she had gone downstairs, he showered in record time, catching the scent of Heather's soap and shampoo in the shower and finding it distracting. Dressing in a hurry, he wondered how Heather could get up this early in the morning, especially without an alarm. The sun was just rising as he left his bedroom.

Downstairs, he found Heather in the kitchen making breakfast. He noted that she hadn't listened to his mother and was also washing the dishes.

"You know, I was just kidding about the washing dishes thing," Jake teased her as he leaned against the doorway that led from the dining room.

Heather jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, obviously not expecting him to be up this early. "Oh, hi." She smiled over her shoulder at him. "I'm just earning my keep."

"You don't need to. My mom is complaining about the lack of things to do. Besides, fixing the VCR should pay your rent for the next year." He had noticed that as far as he could tell, Heather didn't appear to be very upset that other people were living in her own house requiring her to stay here, not that he minded either. He admired her easy going spirit.

But Heather appeared to be distracted or tired. She didn't respond to his playful remark. Instead, she asked, "Do you want breakfast? I was just making an omelet. We can split it."

"Sure." Though he wasn't all that enthused about having eggs yet again, though at least it was something to eat. If there was one food Jericho did have plenty of, it was eggs. One of the bigger farms just outside of Jericho was a poultry farm with pretty solid egg production. It used to sell eggs commercially but now kept the town well supplied. They were also trying to grow additional poultry for meat with limited success so far.

"I should warn you, I'm not the best of cooks. It will be edible, however."

"Whatever you make is fine. I have a running tab down at the med center anyway." Another tease, but Heather did give him an amused smile on that one, her hair failing in her eyes as she finished washing a pan and then rinsed it. Drying her hands, she retrieved a few things from the refrigerator.

Jake watched as Heather cracked two eggs in a dish and beat them. He saw her add some of his mother's herbs to the dish and added some milk to the mixture. She poured it in the pan, adding it to the omelet she was already cooking. He saw green already in the pan and almost worried for a second before realizing that it was probably spinach. His mother had started getting it from one of the neighbors with a greenhouse. He glanced at the front bay window in the living room, visible through open doorway to the dining room, and saw the trays of seedlings Heather and his mother had already started, hoping to grow their own vegetables soon.

Still not quite awake at this ungodly early hour, Jake walked over to the cupboard and grabbed a glass, filling it with water from the sink while Heather worked on the omelet. He took several swallows and scowled at the lack of flavor, missing orange juice and coffee. He was near Heather as she turned back to the sink and noticed that she wore her red sweater today over a printed top. The sleeves of the sweater were pushed up her arms as she washed the dishes. He was pretty sure it was the same sweater she was wearing the day she had kissed him. It brought back memories. Being with her in the kitchen, watching her as she worked washing the dishes and making him breakfast, made him feel close to her. He decided it had been a very good idea to have her stay here.

Heather looked up in surprise when he started helping her with the dishes. Jake took the bowl she had just rinsed off and began drying it with a towel instead of letting her place it in the rack to dry. His hand brushed against her wet one. He wasn't sure, but he thought she blushed as she pulled her hand away.

"I thought you hated doing chores," Heather told him.

"Chivalry is not dead," he said, raising his eyebrows at her. "Can't let the womenfolk do all the work." 

In a few minutes, all the dishes were done and Heather helped him put them away. By the time they finished, the omelet was done, complete with melted cheese on top. Heather served it on two plates after dividing it into two portions. He noticed she took the smaller one. Jake grabbed silverware and napkins and they sat down at the dining room table together to eat with glasses of water to go with their meal.

"How are things down at City Hall?" Heather asked.

"Crazy. " He took a bite of the omelet and discovered it was rather tasty. "This is pretty good."

"Well, it's rather hard to ruin eggs," she confessed, but she looked pleased by his compliment. But she had the look of having something on her mind and asked him. "Jake, is the military actually out patrolling or still busy scavenging the countryside looking for radiation?"

"Well, they claim they are doing both," Jake answered as he kept eating. That was the story they had been giving the residents of Jericho to explain their wide and thorough searches, that the military was looking for radiation fallout and damage from Denver, as well as any metals like nickel that might have absorbed it. It was a weak reason but no one had questioned it all that much. The military had yet to go house to house, but had been searching vacated houses and businesses and some of the properties around the outside of town, including the farms. Fortunately with the military in the area, there hadn't been as many problems on the local roads and crime had gone down and people were content with that much. But they had heard rumors that things were still bad beyond Jericho, so Jake wondered why the government was wasting so many resources here in Jericho that could be better used elsewhere. Someone in the government must want Hawkins' package and the people who knew about it pretty bad. He was also concerned about what lengths they might go to to find either, however.

"What are they really looking for, Jake?" Heather asked. "And don't give me the radiation bit. Any radiation we may have gotten should have been long gone by now and we haven't had many travelers from Denver that could have brought anything either."

"Has anyone been saying anything?" Jake had gone to talk with Colonel Hoffman a few days ago and had given him an overview of Jericho and how it had been coping since the bombs, as well as to discuss how the residents of Jericho would react to the searches and interviews the military was doing. He had been surprised that the colonel wanted his opinion when he could have asked Gray Anderson or even Eric. The colonel had also probed him on matters like local troublemakers and suspicious people and how his border patrol was working out. His best guess was that their road blocks and immediate search of the area hadn't turned up anything regarding the terrorists they were looking for and now they were starting to dig a bit deeper. He was surprised when the colonel had mentioned Jonah Prowse and Jake wondered who had mentioned him to the military. Colonel Hoffman hadn't mentioned Robert Hawkins by name, however, though they had discussed what Lieutenant Williams had told them last week, about their search for terrorists, which probably meant that they hadn't made the connection with Hawkins yet, though he was supposed to be interviewed as a participant in the conflict with New Bern.

Heather replied, "A few people. I don't think they like the military poking around asking questions. You don't think this has something to do with why they came here all of a sudden?"

"It does and it would be best if others didn't know." Jake finished his portion of the omelet and saw that Heather barely eaten half of hers.

"So are you gonna tell me what it's all about?"

"I can only tell you the little I know," Jake made a point to not look her in the eyes. He debated for a second how much to tell her, but he was tired of having no one else to talk to about these things. Heather was a good friend and he knew he could trust her. "They think someone involved with the bombs may be in the area."

"Here? In Jericho?" Heather asked, an incredulous expression on her face. "Is that why they came here?"

"Yeah, but only a few of us know, so keep it between us." He answered, then realized that too many people already knew. Emily did and even Stanley had caught on that something wasn't quite right. Heather had already been suspicious of the military so he didn't feel as guilty about letting her know. He wanted to see how she reacted with the news anyway. Many people in town already looked at Heather as a leader thanks to her wind turbines as well as getting the military to save them from New Bern. He also knew Heather had started attending the workshops they held at the high school and making suggestions on how to find alternatives for supplies since they no longer had things from the outside world. Gray Anderson had put her in charge of building more turbines for Jericho and she had several people helping her, including Ted now. If she could help keep people calm by encouraging them to work with and not worry about the military, that would be a bonus.

"Why would someone involved in the bombs come here?"

Jake leaned forward with his elbows on the table, running a hand down his face and noticing he had forgotten to shave in his haste to get downstairs this morning. He paused and thought carefully before answering Heather right away. He wanted to tell her all of it, of how Hawkins had told him that Jericho would be a safe spot in event of a nuclear attack and that's why the CIA had been planning on meeting here, but he couldn't tell her how he knew that without revealing too much. Nor was he so sure that this new government or military was all it was pretending to be, especially if they found it more important to be hunting down alleged terrorists instead of using their resources to help secure the rest of the state. The knowledge he had kept to himself for so long about the bombs was tearing him up inside, especially since Hawkins was gone now. He wish he had someone to share it with. But he didn't want to worry Heather any more than necessary or risk putting her in danger with everything he knew. Deep inside, he discovered he wanted to shelter Heather from what was really going on. She was innocent in many ways, as he had seen on their trip to Black Jack. She was smart, but optimistic, and maybe a bit blind to the horrors and evil of the world. So in the end, he prayed that he would be convincing enough and only responded. "I don't know."

Fortunately, Heather didn't notice his lie. Her questions didn't stop now that she knew. "Have they found anyone or anything yet?"

"Nothing concrete in the two weeks they've been here." Jake chuckled, knowing that the military and whoever was leading them were probably frustrated. It was likely whoever they were looking for had already slipped away. Hawkins had left and Sarah Mason was supposedly dead. It was just going to take the military a while to figure that out, if they ever did. And they could be looking for other people, he considered. And Jake wasn't going to help them, not until he knew more about their motives and what kind of government they were really representing.

"Is that why they are interviewing people?" Heather asked.

"Some of them. But they also are trying to build a case against Constantino," he answered honestly. "So, anything you can tell them about what happened in New Bern will be helpful." He desperately wanted to see Constantino put away and suffer for what he did. He sat back in his chair, drinking his water, once again wishing it was coffee. They didn't even have coffee at the military outpost.

"All right, I'll do my best." Heather continued eating her omelet. The silence stretched between them, reminding Jake that he had rarely been alone with Heather since she returned.

"You know you had a nightmare last night?" Jake finally asked, wanting to assess her reaction.

Heather blinked at him in surprise, pausing with a bite of food halfway to her mouth. She obviously didn't remember it. Then again, she never woke up. "I did?"

"Yeah, I heard you crying in your sleep."

"Probably just something from my childhood. I'm sorry if I woke you up." Heather spoke quickly. She finished the last bite of her omelet and washed it down with a drink of water.

"It's no problem. I just want to make sure you're okay." Jake leaned forward and touched her forearm where it rested on the table, rubbing it gently. This close, he could see that she looked tired. He wasn't sure what to make of her reaction, but his gut was telling him that she wasn't being totally honest. But he wasn't sure he had the right to pry any further.

"I'm fine." She grabbed his empty plate and hers and took them to the kitchen sink to wash them. "I really need to get going. Ted and I are still searching for a possible site to make turbines at. We checked out four old warehouses yesterday and an old fertilizer plant, but none of them will work."

"There isn't space at the mine? I know they have a pretty good shop there for fixing tools and equipment." Jake got up and followed her back into the kitchen, picking up a towel to help her with the dishes again.

Heather shook her head. "There's not enough room. We need space plus a way to be able to work with metal, such as a furnace of some kind, and storage for collecting scrap metal. And we'll need room to build an assembly line or two and a testing area."

"How about the old aircraft parts plant? It's out beyond Pine Lane. I think it shut down when I was in junior high. Nearly cost my dad the election that year when they lost all those jobs."

"I think that's on our list to check out." Heather finished washing the pan and started on their dishes.

Jake wished he could take the time to help her, but Gray had both he and Eric working nonstop with the military lately. He hoped that once they slowed down on the interviews and searches they had scheduled, he'd have a bit more time for other things like helping Heather or at the workshops. Plus, people still came to him and Eric for complaints instead of talking with Gray. The residents of Jericho still didn't totally trust Gray like they used to trust his father, thus they relied more on the Green brothers. When they weren't helping with interviews or some of the searches, he and Eric were running interference and negotiating local disputes. People were growing more upset that they weren't getting more help from the government and were starting to fight amongst themselves now that there was nothing much left to trade anymore. It was all he and Eric could do to keep people helping each other and being patient until things improved.

"I'm going to go out and take of the horses, would you like to come?" Jake asked as they finished up the dishes. Since it was early, he would have time to walk out to the ranch before he needed to show up at City Hall today.

"I gotta meet Ted and Harry in about fifteen minutes." Heather replied. "I'll go with you the next time, though. Your mom said you only have to go a few times a week now."

Over the winter, he and his father had fixed up the fences around the ranch. The horses could now graze for grass and didn't require as much grain and hay as before. He knew Heather had gone once or twice already with his mother to take care of the horses. He would have enjoyed her company this morning.

As they both left the house together, Jake realized that this was twice in the past two days that Heather hadn't disappeared in his presence right away.

(To be continued...) 


	11. Chapter 11

Full Circle, Chapter Eleven

"Any news on Hawkins?" Eric's voice broke into Jake's thoughts. "They keep asking about him for an interview."

Jake sat with his brother in a spare office at City Hall updating their list of interviews for the military. It had been a rough week so far with the military starting to interview and asking questions of various town residents. They were probing for information about the battle with New Bern as well as any leads about suspicious characters or activity around Jericho since their initial searches hadn't found anything, at least as far as Jake knew. The tension about town was increasing as the military stepped up their operations. So far, they had been getting an earful of Jericho gossip and old stories which thankfully seemed to be slowing down their investigation. Eric had been the one coordinating the interviews while Jake had focused more on the searches the military was doing.

"No, none." Jake had been successful thus far in covering for Hawkins, trying to make it appear as if he just wasn't showing up for his scheduled interview yet. He had told Eric and Jimmy Taylor that Hawkins had said he was going to try to head back to St. Louis now that the roads were safer, but Jake asked them to keep that quiet as long as possible. Jake had not seen Rob Hawkins since the night they had moved the package to a hidden location outside of Jericho. Unfortunately, he had had to keep his brother mostly in the dark about Hawkins.

"You gonna tell me why you've been dragging your feet on this?" Eric accused, giving Jake a skeptical look that he found all too familiar.

"I owe Hawkins for helping us out. He probably saved both our lives in New Bern, don't forget that." Jake reminded him. Hawkins had provided the distraction that had allowed them to escape, as well as helping taking out a number of the deputies. That and his satellite reports had been invaluable in the battle with New Bern. Part of Jake's strategy in delaying who knew that Hawkins had left was to try and figure out how much the military knew and how far they were willing to go in their pursuit of Hawkins and those connected to him.

"What if he's the one they are looking for? Have you considered that?"

"Do you really think Robert Hawkins was a terrorist?" Jake asked, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "Come on."

"Lieutenant Williams seems to be interested in him all of a sudden. While I don't entirely trust this military either, they aren't gonna let up until they get what that want. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"I got it under control," Jake said with more confidence than he probably had.

While up until recently, neither Colonel Hoffman or the lieutenant had seemed all that interested in Robert Hawkins, two days ago they started inquiring more and were starting to become persistent about it. Jake had had his own interview two days ago and they had asked him a lot of questions about Robert Hawkins, especially his involvement at New Bern and what Jake had known about his background. Lt. Williams had been there for his interview, though the officer had not been to many interviews after the first couple ones. Jake had told those doing the interview what they had originally been told, that Hawkins had been a cop from St. Louis. He thought he had been pretty convincing at playing naive, even when they had asked him about whether he knew if Hawkins or anyone else in town had had any involvement in suspicious activities. Jake had mentioned Jonah Prowse and a few of the other local troublemakers, some of them his border patrol had been complaining about, hoping to give the military other names to check into.

Then the lieutenant had jumped in, interrupting the man performing the interview, and had asked Jake what he knew about Sarah Mason and any connection she may have had with Robert Hawkins. Jake then realized that Hawkins had probably been right that this government was somehow involved with the bombs or at least those who had traced their way to Jericho through Hawkins' satellite connection. Jake had simply told the same story that Jimmy had learned, that Sarah Mason had known Hawkins but had left town not long after arriving with the refugees and was a suspect in the murder of a John Doe found dead on the outskirts of Jericho at about the same time. The lieutenant had seemed pretty disappointed to learn that Sarah Mason had been missing for several months now. Jake watched the lieutenant mulling over this new information and wondered how much the officer really knew about what was going on, or if he was just doing what he was told by someone higher up the chain of command. He wondered what the military and government would make of all this new information. They had interviewed Jimmy Taylor right after him and Jake knew that Jimmy had probably told them the same information. After their interviews, Lt. Williams had asked them both to find out where Hawkins was. Jimmy had took his time and finally told the lieutenant yesterday that he had found out that Hawkins had taken his family and gone to St. Louis.

This morning, Lt Williams had hastily added the Hawkins house to their list of places to search. Their cover story for the searches they had been making was that the military was checking for radiation and any items that might have come from a radioactive zone that could make people sick. Seeing as they were using Geiger counters and metal detectors to probably search for the package, it was not too far off the mark, even though Jake was the only one who really knew what they were looking for.

Jake yawned as he glanced out the window then returned his attention to the interview schedule for today. He was tired today, with good reason. He hadn't been sleeping well the past couple of nights. He had concerns other than the military on his mind today.

"Eric." Jake knew that Heather was scheduled for her interview today. He had told her a couple days ago. "Is there anything Heather isn't telling about what happened in New Bern?"

"Why?" Eric set down the clipboard he had been looking at and stared at his brother.

"She's been having nightmares at night." It had been two weeks since Heather had returned to Jericho and moved into his house. For the third night in a row, Heather had had a nightmare and he had gone to her room to hold her and calm her down. The past two nights, she had struggled against him until she had woken up enough to realize that it was him. She refused to tell him what her nightmares had been about, claiming it was an old childhood dream, but it was his fear that it had something to do with her time in New Bern, something that she hadn't told anyone. He hadn't seen much of her except at night and that morning a few days ago when they had eaten breakfast together. When he had reminded her of the interview this morning, she had gone pale and changed the subject. She had looked pretty tired this morning as well. "Do you think something happened she doesn't want to talk about? Something she left out of what she told us?"

Eric leaned back in his chair, stroking his bearded chin thoughtfully. "Well, there is something I'm not sure about, when she was in the examining room at the plant with Constantino, but I'm not sure there's anything to it."

"Tell me."

* * *

_New Bern, three weeks earlier_

The handcuffs on his wrists rattled against the metal of the chair Eric sat in. They had locked him to the chair, a heavy desk chair that wasn't very comfortable either. He and Heather had been captured by two of Constantino's deputies not long after they had set the materials used in making mortars on fire, causing a small explosion. The fire had blazed high into the ceiling of the plant. Fortunately, there hadn't been many people in the factory that early and the fire had gone undetected for a while. He could still smell the smoke and residue on his clothes. They had hid in a small cubby near the loading dock for several minutes before trying to make a run for it, hoping the confusion with the fire and smoke in the plant would cover their escape.

Two deputies caught them slipping out the back of the factory by the loading docks. Eric had learned to recognize them by their New Bern Police uniforms and realized that neither of them had left their post of guarding the back of the factory despite the commotion inside. New Bern seemed to have a lot of deputies and had heavy security at the plant, but at least he knew why now. Eric had debated attacking the men with the gun hidden in his pocket, but they both had guns pointed at them and Eric didn't want Heather to get hurt. They had searched them both, finding and taking his gun. They were escorted back inside the plant and passed the area where firefighters were working hard to put out the fire that they had started. He could see that they had damaged a good deal of the materials in their storage area and some of the production line for the mortars.

Eric now sat outside an examining room in the first aid center inside the plant. He was filled with concern for Heather and himself. He wasn't sure what Constantino would do to them. He had heard horrors stories of how criminals were treated in New Bern and it was not anything his father would ever have approved of. He was at the end of a long hallway that had a reception area and an examining room. They had taken Heather inside the room and a nurse had gone into the room with her. The deputies that had captured them had come and gone after a brief stop in the room to talk to the nurse and Heather but Eric hadn't heard what was said. He guessed they were probably off to find Constantino. Two new deputies were standing guard just down the hall. Neither of them looked very bright, but he had overheard them saying inappropriate things about Heather and that had made him angry. Eric spent long minutes trying to get his hands out of the cuffs, but it seemed futile.

Lost in thought, he considered how much he had struggled in the weeks he had spent here in New Bern. All he wanted to do was run away, to not face the reality of what had happened back in Jericho. He had lost April and their child. He had not been there for either of them. April had been a wonderful, giving and smart woman, and yet he had cheated on her, let himself fall in love with Mary and let their marriage fail. He had always done the right thing in his life, had always been the good Green boy, and had done it for so long, he had lost himself, never really being happy, even with April. When he had found a small glimmer of happiness with Mary, he had latched on to it like a man dying of thirst. For once in his life, he had thrown caution to the wind, never considering the consequences of his actions, that he had broken his vows of commitment and honor to his wife. And now she was gone. The guilt and regret weighed him down. He had messed up big time. Jake was supposed to be the big screw up in his family.

Though it had been weeks, Eric still felt the pain and anguish of the loss of his wife and their unborn child. He hadn't wanted to talk about it with anyone. Being here in New Bern, working on making the turbines, had let himself immerse himself in work and not think about it. He had even tried to socialize with Stanley and the rest of the crew from Jericho, but his heart had never been in it. Heather had tried to talk to him, but it was hard when he wasn't even sure what he felt or thought himself. The quiet lonely nights often found him wide awake, unable to escape his thoughts or pain in his heart. Finally, a few days ago, he couldn't take it anymore. He needed to get away, to think, to refocus. And he had left, intending to walk out of town and just hike for a while until he found himself again. He had heard of aborigines in Australia that used to "go walkabout" until they rediscovered themselves again. He needed to do that, to figure out where he had gone wrong, and how to make amends for what he had done; to his family, to April's spirit, and to himself. And to figure out if he still loved Mary and if she would still have him after all that had happened. He planned to start by exchanging work in New Bern for supplies he would need; camping gear, weapons and whatever limited food he could find. He had barely gotten started when Heather found him and told him about what New Bern was planning. He was shocked to think that New Bern and Constantino were planning to take over Jericho and its farms and mine.

Then it occurred to him that dwelling in the past was not going to help him or Jericho. He had made mistakes, big ones and he couldn't change what had happened. But he could do his best to not make them again, or put himself into a position where he was not paying attention to what was going on around him or in his life and let things get out of control again. And now, he wasn't sure he had time to keep dwelling on the past or go find himself. Jericho needed him now. Eric suddenly found himself focused again, knowing what needed to be done. He had to protect Jericho. April had died because he hadn't been there for her. He wouldn't let Jericho suffer the same fate because he failed to prevent it. He had to stop Constantino then get back home to warn his father. He hadn't considered all the possible consequences when he and Heather had made their plans, but knew they had to stop New Bern no matter what. They planned to escape the plant then get back to the house where the rest of the Jericho men were staying and get them all to head out of town together, knowing that Constantino would want revenge or to use them as hostages. But the plan had failed when they got caught. He only hoped they had stopped their mortar production. Maybe he could reason with Constantino now that he had his attention.

Eric's attention perked up when he saw a man in a white coat coming down the hall. It looked like a doctor. Was Heather hurt? She had tripped on their way down the steps of the loading dock, but he didn't think she had injured herself. Eric had a few cuts and a split lip from where a plant worker had punched him while they were trying to escape. He had knocked the worker out and both he and Heather had run. The guards nodded to the doctor as he passed them. The doctor stared at Eric a second then ignored him, going into the room where Heather was, shutting the door behind him.

The murmur of voices came from the room but Eric couldn't make any words out. He though he heard something that sounded like Heather protesting and crying and he fought against the handcuffs again. He could move his chair and tried to move closer to the door.

"Stop moving or I'll use this on you." One of the guards threatened him with a gun. Eric stopped.

Long minutes passed and finally the doctor came out carrying a clipboard. The man didn't look like a very good doctor, Eric now noticed. The doctor didn't wear scrubs. His white coat was stained and he looked unclean and his ordinary clothes looked messy underneath the lab coat as if they hadn't been washed for a while. The man walked with a slight limp. Having been around April for so long, he knew that even in worst of times, cleanliness was critically important, especially nowadays when the risk of infection was high from lack of proper cleaning supplies and medicine. The doctor walked down the hall, still ignoring Eric.

The nurse came out of the room after the doctor and approached Eric. Her expression was unreadable. She examined the cuts and bruises on his face. The woman looked to be in her forties, with short brown hair peppered with gray. She avoided looking him in the eyes, as if ashamed or hiding something.

"What's going on in there? Is Heather okay?" Eric asked her in a hushed voice. He hoped he might gain her as an ally, at least enough to make sure Heather was not hurt. But she didn't reply. "Answer me, please!" he pleaded.

"She is not hurt," she replied softly, but she still didn't meet his eyes.

There were voices down the hall and Eric looked up to see Constantino talking with the doctor on the way out. There was one of the deputies that had caught them and another man with Constantino. The man was small and was wearing an old ragged coat and looked dirty and disheveled. Eric was pretty sure he had seen that man around town before, but couldn't remember where, perhaps around city hall. Constantino had assumed the role of mayor along with sheriff and was ruling New Bern with an iron fist. Rumors said he was involved with all kinds of shady characters lately.

"I should have expected something like this from Johnston Green's son, but isn't Jake the troublemaker in the family?" Constantino sneered at him as he and the man approached. The deputy trailed behind them talking with the guards. The nurse jumped out the way, going back into the examining room. "I let you come here to help your town and this is the thanks I get? Trying to destroy my factory?"

"What the hell are you up to here?" Eric yelled back. "Making missiles? Splitting up Jericho's farms amongst yourself? You're planning to attack Jericho. What did you expect me to do when I found out?" He remembered that Constantino and his wife had come to April and his wedding. He found it hard to believe that the same man who had wished him and April the best was planning on attacking his hometown.

"Maybe you should have kept minding your own business like the good son you are supposed to be." Constantino replied, anger making his face red. The man's fists were clenched as if he wanted to hit Eric. "We're just trying to survive here."

"Survive by attacking Jericho? You've got to be kidding!" Eric realized that he wasn't so sure he wold be able to reason with the sheriff. Eric was too angry and Constantino didn't seem very pleased with him right now.

"We need food and trade goods to survive. But don't think for a moment that your little stunt slowed us down. We've already made enough mortars and once we get the lines fixed and our next shipment of supplies, we'll be able to make more."

A feeling of dread settled in Eric's stomach. They hadn't been able to stop them. They were going to bomb Jericho. People would get hurt. He knew they wouldn't have any military power to defend themselves against that. They had been so naive in ignoring the outside world. His weeks spent here in New Bern had taught him that. They heard more news about Kansas, Colorado and the other surrounding states here in New Bern and all of it was bad. Crime and chaos reigned beyond the small towns that had the ability to protect themselves.

"Is this one of them?" The man with Constantino asked, nodding at Eric.

"I'd give him to you now, but I'll be using him as a hostage. Maybe when we're through, if he's still alive." Constantino said then pointed at the examining room. "The girl's in there."

Constantino gave him one last annoyed look before going into the room with the man. Eric tried to look inside but it looked fairly dark inside. There were lone light bulbs lighting the room and reception area where he was at, likely strung up recently. The fluorescent lights all were off, likely to save power. He knew that the plant had some power from the first wind turbine that was made. The door shut with a loud click. Again, voices carried through the door but he couldn't make anything out. He slowly started inching his chair closer to the door, hoping to hear better and maybe get a glimpse inside when they came out.

"I thought I told you to stop moving!" The same deputy yelled him. The deputy that had been talking to the guards walked up and double checked Eric's handcuffs. He knocked Eric hard on the side of the head. Eric wanted to stand up and attack the guy, but he couldn't do much with his hands securely fastened to the chair. He pushed against the man with a shoulder instead, hitting him in the waist. He had hit the man on the belt and the deputy's keys dropped on the floor. The deputy kicked them out of the way and picked them up, away from Eric.

Then he heard crying again that sounded like Heather. Growling in frustration, Eric fought against the handcuffs, hoping that by some luck, they might pop open. If they were hurting Heather, he'd kill them. The deputy laughed at him and moved to stand outside the door to the examining room, waiting for Constantino. Several long, agonizing minutes passed again. When the door opened, Constantino came out and the man with him had a scary, satisfied looking smile on his face. They shut the door behind them, preventing Eric from looking inside and checking on Heather.

"What were you doing to Heather?" Eric shouted at them, his anger raging inside him. "She better not be hurt."

"I'm not through with you yet." Constantino stated to Eric. "You will help me out and tell me whatever you can about Jericho. Defenses, weapons, and how the patrol is set up."

"I will not help you!" Eric yelled. He wanted to get up and punch the smug expression off the sheriff's face.

"You will tell me whatever I want if you ever want to see Heather Lisinski alive again." Constantino ordered the deputy next to him, nodding at Eric, "Take this one to the jail and take the girl to the usual place. I want extra security on this. And make sure the Jericho men do not leave their house this morning. I'm going to send them back to Jericho. Tell Russell to grab whatever turbines they made and go pick them up."

"I'll get it set up," the deputy said and walked down the hall with the sheriff and the other man. They passed the guards in the hall and disappeared back into the plant.

The door to the examining room opened and the nurse came out carrying a cloth and an almost empty bottle of rubbing alcohol. Eric noticed she looked scared. What the hell had gone on in the room? She came over to him again, glanced over her shoulder at the guards and pretended to be checking out his wounds again.

"I'm going to help you get out of here," she whispered softly.

Eric checked the guards in the hall. Neither seemed to be paying them attention.

She bent down and looked like she was checking his arm and he felt her press something cold and metal into his hand. It was a handcuff key. Her eyes met his in a look of understanding. "You have to make it look like I didn't help you. Understand?"

Eric nodded and began working out a plan. The nurse started cleaning the cut on his forehead. "Ow, that hurts!" Eric protested loudly, trying to cover the sound as he unlocked his handcuffs. He heard a soft click as one unlocked and began to work on the other.

One of the deputies down the hall eyed him and scoffed, a big smile on his face.

"You're doing that on purpose!" He yelled, even louder. The handcuffs rattled against the metal of the chair and he felt the other cuff open. "Get away from me!" He dropped the cuffs to the floor as he spoke. His hands were now free, but he held them behind him as if he was still locked to the chair.

The nurse went back into the room. Eric waited impatiently for the attention of the guards to lapse then bolted into the examining room. Inside, he saw Heather sitting on an examining table in the middle of a room that was a mess with debris in the corners and loose wires and broken ceiling tiles covering the ceiling. She wasn't even handcuffed and looked surprised to see him. The room was dimly lit by a lone light bulb dangling from the ceiling. She didn't look hurt but looked upset, her face pale and eyes wide. He guessed that Constantino had threatened Heather as well. The sheriff probably planned to use them against each other to find out more information about Jericho. He waved at her to stand in the corner away from the door and Heather moved. Not having time to worry about Heather yet, Eric found a piece of wood that looked like it came from one of the counters that were falling apart in the room. He held it ready to use as a weapon and hid behind the door. 

"Get down on the floor," he ordered the nurse in a hushed voice. "Make it look like I knocked you out."

The woman dove down onto the floor, lying face down on her stomach. She moved just in time as Eric heard the alarm outside the door when the guards realized that Eric was no longer in the chair. A second later, a shadow fell across the opaque window in the door and started in the room, gun leading the way. Eric smashed the partially opened door against the man's arm. There was a loud cry of pain and the gun clattered to the floor. He kicked it away and grabbed the arm and yanked the man into the room and pushed him as hard as he could backward. The man stumbled against the counter by the door. Eric used the confusion to smack the man in the face with the piece of wood in his hand. He heard a loud crack and the man collapsed onto the floor. Eric's arm ached from the amount of power he had put behind the swing. He wondered if he had injured it or was just getting old.

The second guard wasn't as stupid, so Eric charged him instead using the surprise to his advantage. He tackled the man outside the door. They both landed heavily on the hard cement of the floor. The man was disoriented as his head hit the ground. The guard tried to aim his gun up at Eric. Eric didn't want the man shooting. Gunfire would attract attention. Eric slammed the hand with the gun heavily against the floor. Two slams later, the gun was free, spinning across the floor. They wrestled on the floor for a moment but Eric outweighed the smaller man and was able to punch him several hard times in the face and the man passed out. Eric felt blood on his hands and found his own blood on the back of his hand when he wiped his face with it, the cut on his brow was bleeding again.

There was a noise behind him and he looked up, fearing another guard was coming, but it was just Heather coming out of the room. She held a gun in her hand, ready to shoot. She didn't look real thrilled to be holding a gun.

"Heather, we need to tie these guys up," Eric told her. He glanced down the hallway and didn't see anyone else. The way was clear so far.

Heather just stared at him in shock. He was taken aback as normally Heather was pretty calm and collected under stress and had been this morning when they had put their plan in motion and tried to escape.

"Heather!" He tried to yell in a hushed whisper. That woke her up. She helped him drag both men into the room while the nurse got up from the floor and helped them by locking the guards up with handcuffs in the room. Why there were so many handcuffs in the room, Eric had no idea. There were also cloths that looked like gags and they used them to gag both men as they handcuffed them to the heavy examining table. Both men were still unconscious. He noticed that Heather was still acting oddly, but he wasn't sure exactly why. There was blood on him from attacking the deputies, maybe she didn't like the sight of blood. He rinsed his hands off quickly in the dirty sink.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked Heather over his shoulder.

Heather looked pale, but she nodded.

"What's the easiest way out of here?" he asked the nurse, drying his hands on his shirt. The nurse handed them both their coats which had been outside the room. He helped Heather put her red coat on and shrugged into his own. It was still early in the morning and would be cold outside.

"Out the hallway, take a left then a right. There's a door leading outside."

"Thank you for your help. You can come with us," he offered.

The woman looked terrified as she just shook her head. "No, just don't let them know I helped you." He saw her take another pair of handcuffs and lock herself to the table as well.

"Well, if you can get out of here and can get to Jericho, just tell them that Eric Green said you could come. It's probably a lot safer there." But for how much longer, Eric didn't know. They needed to get back home and warn them.

Eric grabbed Heather by the hand, picked up a gun in his other hand and they headed out. No one saw them on the way out this time. They slipped out of the plant again, running away as fast as they could. They passed outside of the fence surrounding the factory and were heading through the brush away from the roads. They hadn't made it far before their escape had been noticed and they heard shouts behind them. Soon trucks and barking dogs began chasing them. They quickly caught up with Eric and Heather with their four wheel drive trucks and began shooting. Eric tried shooting back and that slowed him down. He took out the tires on two of the trucks but it didn't slow them down enough. He kept firing, trying to slow down as many of the trucks as he could. They caught him while Heather kept running. If Heather got away, that was all that mattered. He knew she would find a way back to Jericho to warn them.

* * *

Jake had listened with dread at the story his brother had told. Heather had often woken up screaming 'Don't touch me! ' and other things. He feared that she maybe had been attacked or even worse, raped either previously or while at New Bern. But whatever had happened, either recently or in the past, it had scared her deeply enough to have nightmares about. And he found a hard time imagining much of anything made Heather that afraid. He had noticed she wasn't as cheerful as she used to be before she went to New Bern. She still smiled and talked with his mother and others but had seemed fairly quiet and withdrawn. Even Emily had said she had barely talked to Heather since she got back. When he had tracked down Ted to thank him for returning his car, even Ted had seemed concerned about Heather but wasn't aware of anything that may have happened to her in New Bern. He asked his brother, "The doctor and Constantino, they weren't in there long enough to do anything?"

"I'm not sure. It was only a few minutes, I think," Eric replied.

He considered that something could have happened that Eric or anyone else didn't know about, yet Stanley had said Heather was pretty upbeat when they had been in New Bern. Jake had a feeling that Heather was pretty good at covering up her feelings, however. He wanted to protect her, now more than ever. "I don't want her to get interviewed. They already got a statement from her, they don't need another."

"I don't know, Jake. They're already complaining about us not giving them full access to everyone. I already gave them my full statement. Anything we can give them that will nail Constantino can only help. Heather saw more than I did and talked to Constantino periodically. They gave her more access to the plant than I had. That's how she first discovered the map and plans and mortars. She was there the longest. Maybe they'll find more out by talking to her."

Jake drummed his fingers on the desk, unsure of what to do. What if it was nothing and he was just getting worried for no reason? It was possible nothing would come up in the interview that he didn't already know already. She could just be having nightmares from her childhood. But his gut was telling them that wasn't the case, especially since the nightmares had conveniently started about the same time he had reminded her of her upcoming interview. "All right, but I want to be the one in the room with her. And ask them to keep the people present down to the minimum on this one."

"You got it." Eric answered, making a note on the interview schedule. His brother checked his watch. "You having lunch at Emily's again?"

"Maybe, what of it?" Jake absently tapped his pencil on the desk, still worrying about Heather. He was a bit hungry and knew it had to be close to lunchtime. Emily had invited him over again today.

"I was going to go home and spend some time with Mom." Eric replied. ""I just noticed that you two seem to be spending a lot more time together lately. You getting back together?"

"I don't know, why?" Emily had been asking him to come over more often and while he had been taking her up some of the offers lately, he was getting uncomfortable about it. She would talk about her times with Roger, traveling, shopping, taking classes and going to concerts and charity events in Denver. All he could think of was that he would have never been able to give her such a nice life if they had settled down together like they had always talked about. Emily had always been interested in social status and doing things that usually required money. Nowadays, their conversations seemed to revolve too much about the past, though they did talk about Roger and Jericho some. He had a feeling she was trying to rekindle their romance, but wasn't sure how he felt about it yet. Emily was still beautiful and fun and any man would love to make her his, but Jake had been so busy lately, he hadn't given much thought to his love life lately, or the lack thereof.

"Because you've been so tense and defensive lately. You were always grumpy when you were with Emily."

"I'm not grumpy!" Jake yelled. He tried to remember if he had ever been that way back when he and Emily were a couple. He remembered being angry so much of the time back then, mad at his father, his brother, and the fact that he couldn't figure out what to do with his life and or do anything right or to get ahead.

"You just about bit off Bill's head this morning when he asked you if you've heard any news on Jonah Prowse lately."

Jake just glared at his brother. He had been rather short tempered lately and tried to figure out why. He knew they both felt the loss of their father, even more since they were picking up the slack at City Hall and since the military had arrived. He didn't like the military and their questioning. People were starting to get upset by the military running around in search sweeps and asking questions. Emily kept asking more and more questions about what he was doing and why they didn't spend more time together. And he had been worried, about his mother and Heather, and about Jericho and how order had been slowly disintegrating in the past months now that spring was here. The generosity of the small town still existed, but was running rather low at the moment, especially without his father to inspire them.

Wanting to ignore the topic of Emily, he started thinking aloud, "I've been worried what we're going to do about these farmers versus townsfolk disputes. The farmers had been willing to share their crops last year because they had no one else to sell to. The grain growers gave their crops to the livestock and dairy farms. Those farms shared their food with the town. And now with the military here and the roads more secure, they think they might be able to trade their food and livestock instead, but only if they can harvest it without fuel and enough help. But then those without farms need land for growing food of their own. And the teachers and other people doing service work don't get paid either. People have run out of things to trade and crime is rising again." It was a litany of complaints that he and Eric knew well. They had both been going over them for the past two weeks now. He wished his father was still here. He would have had ideas on what to do, or at least words to encourage people to work together. But his father was no longer here, the emptiness in his heart was a painful reminder and even the rest of Jericho was feeling it.

Eric sighed. "I know. Jimmy and Bill have been getting complaints left and right. Stanley and some of the others keep asking for volunteers to help at the farms. Planting acres of crops is going to take forever, especially if the military can't come through with the fuel they promised. And we're not even sure that this year's crops will be enough to get through another winter. We can only count on the good graces of people to help each other for so long. I really don't know what else to do, especially without Dad here." Eric slumped his shoulders in resignation and went back to going over the interview schedule.

As Eric continued to work on his paperwork, Jake stared off into space for a long moment. What would his father have done? Or grandfather? Eric Jacob Green had always been telling them, especially when they complained about all the history field trips and boring stories, that you need to remember your history and learn from it. Then it occurred to him. "You know what we should do?"

"What?" Eric looked up.

"Remember Grandpa's old stories about the settling of Kansas? Many of the original settlers were former slaves and those escaping after the civil war. The South had issues with labor after the war. What if we develop some sort of sharecropping system until things get back to normal again?"

"Well, from what I remember from history class, sharecropping didn't go over so well."

Their grandfather and father had both been big history buffs. Jake liked listening to their stories, but had never gotten into history enough to read about it. History had been one of his favorite classes in high school, however. "Well, that's because there were a lot of race issues and abuse of the system by the land owners. What if we come up with some sort of tenant agreement, where workers can use some of the land in exchange for part of the crops or in return for helping out on the farms? And part of that would include compensation and trade for necessary other jobs, like teaching or working at the clinic."

Eric added. "Or being stuck at City Hall helping the military. A barter and trade system for goods and services with the town taking some off the top and leaving some for trading as well. Might work, if we can get Gray to buy into it. It's going to be a hard sell, though."

"There's bound to be some books on similar systems in the library." They had moved most of the books and racks from the Jericho Library to the high school since the library had been damaged by the fire. It was getting used quite a bit for research and leisure for passing the time since television and radio were gone.

"You? Read a book? That would be a first." His brother teased.

"But will you work with me on this? Gray will listen to you." It would be tough. They'd have to get buy in from everyone involved. He wasn't sure he would be up to it. But possibly the Green boys could be convincing enough, if they had a solid plan and a vote to ratify it. It sounded like something his father would have approved of.

"Sure, count me in." Eric replied. "We can probably develop some sort of written agreement and rules on how this will work. Like a town charter." Eric did have a law degree, he would be good at handling the legal side.

For the first time in weeks, Jake had a glimmer of hope and a direction of something to work on besides boring interviews and military searches.

(To be continued...)  



	12. Chapter 12

Full Circle, Chapter Twelve 

Jake didn't get lunch that day after all. He and Eric had been on their way out of city hall to head home to eat when they were stopped. Jimmy was in the foyer outside the sheriff's office talking with Lt. Williams.

"Hey, Jake, we're about to head out to the Hawkins house to search it. Thought you might like to come along." Jimmy informed him, looking at him questioningly.

He knew what Jimmy was hinting at, because Jake knew Hawkins, probably better than most. He and Jimmy had had an agreement to try and not tell too much about Hawkins. So far, Jimmy had help up to the deal, even in his interview. Plus, Jake had tried to attend many of the searches as he could, especially since they were visiting houses now.

"I'll just head home to see Mom. Want me to bring you back some lunch?" Eric told Jake.

"Yeah, thanks," he answered his brother, but found himself nervous all of a sudden and his appetite gone.

Eric left after giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"You said this Robert Hawkins showed up with his family right before the bombs went off?" Lt. Williams asked, looking at piece of paper he held in his hands. Jake was surprised he was asking the same question, seeing as the lieutenant had been already been told that several times. Maybe he was just making conversation or was testing them for their response.

"Yeah, said he was a cop from St. Louis and was just getting away from it all," Jimmy answered.

Lt. Williams looked at both of them and cleared his throat. "All right, let's head over."

The lieutenant led them outside and let them climb in the Humvees with the rest of their search crew. Jake wasn't surprised that the officer was with them this time, especially after his recent peaked interest in anything about Hawkins. Lt. Williams hadn't attended many of the searches of houses thus far, at least the ones Jake had gone to. He usually left that up to a lower ranked officer. They hadn't seen much of Colonel Hoffman either, but Jake had heard that he was handling most of the patrols outside of town and left the town activities up to the lieutenant. They had only searched a few houses so far. Most of the other searches had been old warehouses and other business buildings around town, especially unused ones. They had claimed that they might have been used for meeting or hiding spots, but Jake was pretty sure they were looking for the bomb instead. The houses searched thus far were ones that the refugees were staying in and a few houses of ex-military residents of Jericho. They had started asking people about Sarah Mason recently too, especially in the interviews. Jake had no idea what to expect at Hawkins' house, as he hadn't been there since the day he warned Robert Hawkins about the military.

When they entered the old Thompson house, it looked like no one had been in it for some time. It was cold inside and the power had been turned off in the house. Some of the furniture still remained, but it was obvious that whoever had been here had moved out. The kitchen looked bare, even the plants that had been in the window were gone. Some decorations remained on the walls. The soldiers fanned out and began searching the house top to bottom while Lt. Williams waited in the living room with Jimmy and Jake, along with his ever-diligent note-taking scribe following behind him.

After a minute, a soldier came into the dining room area by the living room, turning on the lights. "All the circuit breakers were off," the solider informed Lt. Williams. The soldier disappeared, appearing to head downstairs.

Jake tried to cover his nervousness by acting as if he was cold, glancing around and rubbing his hands together. Though it was an early spring day, this morning had dawned cold, dark and overcast, just like his mood today. He tried to distract himself with thoughts about the town charter idea he had just talked to Eric about. He would have to stop by the library when he had time to see if they had any books that could help him. He would have to ask his mom as well, as he knew his father and grandfather used to collect history books.

"You said Mr. Hawkins and his family left for St. Louis?" The lieutenant asked, breaking into Jake's thoughts.

Jimmy answered. "Yeah, he said now that the roads appeared to be safer, he wanted to get back to his wife's family and make sure they were okay."

"He told me once that his wife's family had a farm in Illinois." Jake added.

The lieutenant looked doubtful. "Why didn't you tell us earlier that he left town?"

Jimmy clutched his deputy's cap a little tighter and looked contrite. "Uh, he left me a note on my door. I just didn't get it until recently. Guess my wife forgot about it. I told you yesterday about it."

Jimmy covered that pretty well, Jake tried not to smile. _Good tactic, blame it on the wife, Jimmy. _When Lt. Williams looked expectantly at him, Jake just swept his arm at and nodded at Jimmy, acting as if he got his information from the deputy.

Lt. Williams inquired. "How did he get by our road blocks and your border patrol?"

Jimmy looked at Jake and Jake just shrugged. Jake had checked with the border patrol the day after Hawkins had supposedly left and they hadn't seen any sign of Hawkins leaving town. He knew that the military had their own roadblocks just beyond the border patrol ones. "I have no idea, your guys didn't see anything?"

Lt. Williams just shook his head, then grabbed the clipboard from the soldier taking notes to check something then handed it back. "We were told he was last seen a few days after we arrived, but no one has seen him since. How well did you know Mr. Hawkins? People have said that he seemed anti-social."

"This town isn't exactly friendly to outsiders right at first, if you haven't noticed.'" Jake said, which was true. He knew that many Jericho residents were skeptical of the Hawkins family even after being here for several months.

"He and his wife were having some marital problems," Jimmy added. "Mrs. Hawkins and the kids stayed with my family for a while when they worked things out."

They watched as several soldiers began dusting for fingerprints in the living room, dining room and kitchen. They must have found something as the soldier in the living room took out equipment and began lifting finger prints from the fireplace mantel and glass covering. Jake wondered if they had access to the FBI database to check for fingerprints, for criminals or government employees. They would likely be able to look up Robert Hawkins if so.

"Did his family ever say much about Mr. Hawkins' job or where they used to live before moving here?" The lieutenant continued his questions, his voice not giving anything away.

Jimmy answered. "Yeah, they talked about St. Louis a lot. And Darcy, well, Mrs. Hawkins was always complaining that her husband worked too much, which was partially why they were having problems."

Lt. Williams paced around the living room then headed to the kitchen, the soldier taking notes followed him. Jake and Jimmy trailed behind them. The lieutenant looked around the kitchen, glancing at a child's drawing on the refrigerator. It had a name on it and Jimmy said it was Samuel Hawkins' school back in St. Louis. Jake had a feeling Hawkins had left that on purpose.

"You did know that Hawkins was an FBI agent, right?" Lt. Williams asked out of the blue as he turned around to face them. Jake saw him watching both him and Jimmy. That was a loaded question asked to gauge their reaction.

"Yes, we did," Jake answered before Jimmy could. Jimmy's reaction was giving it away already.

Lt. Williams eyed them suspiciously. "Why didn't you mention this sooner? Or in your interviews?"

"Well, he had said he was undercover and then retiring after everything that happened. Mrs. Hawkins said that was part of the problem with their relationship. They wanted to keep it quiet and we didn't think it was relevant." Jimmy answered, repeating the phrase that Jake had told him.

"How did you find out he was FBI?" Jake asked. If they had access to the Defense Department network, they would know that Hawkins wasn't really FBI. That was a guess, however. Jake really wasn't totally sure how the CIA handled fake identities, but Rob had hinted that they would be able to tell. But Jake hoped the lieutenant might give something away.

Lt. Williams gave him a long look as if debating how to answer. "Gray Anderson told me yesterday. He was a bit suspicious when he heard that Mr. Hawkins had disappeared."

Jake groaned inwardly. Gray was giving away too much. He decided to keep with the naive tactic. "You really think he was FBI? He really was pretty good with a gun and knew a lot about nuclear attacks."

"Possibly. Did he ever say why he was here?" The lieutenant asked.

"He told me and Gray that he was investigating phone calls made from a pay phone here in town, possibly involving terrorists. His wife said he was working on retiring as his job was really hard on his family." Jimmy answered.

"And you didn't find that any bit odd?"

Jimmy rushed on, "Well, with everything going on, we didn't think it was important any more. I mean, the federal government was gone right? He didn't have anyone to report to anymore. And he volunteered to help out as a deputy and was doing a great job. I guess we never put two and two together about him tracking terrorists."

Sometimes Jimmy could come in handy, Jake realized, as he didn't have to work real hard at acting ingenuous. His good nature worked in his favor.

"And you didn't think there was anything odd about him?" The lieutenant asked Jake. "Mayor Anderson said you worked with him a bit, Jake, and you said in your interview that he helped you out in New Bern."

"I did work with him. He was a good guy and helped us in New Bern and here with the battle. Sorry, I don't know much more about him." Jake was getting uncomfortable with all this attention. None of their other searches had involved this much questioning. "We were desperate for whatever help we could get, we didn't exactly do background checks on people helping out."

"Can you tell me then how you and he came up with nearly one hundred rifles to help arm the town for the fight with New Bern?" The lieutenant had the look of someone setting him up for the fall.

God, these guys were good. Even Jimmy looked at Jake in surprise.

"Hawkins had them," Jake answered, trying to remain calm and think quickly. Hawkins had only told him that the CIA had weapon caches in many safe houses around the country. He remembered the stash of weapons Bill had found belonging to one of the Vietnam vets in town and decided to gamble on his answer. "We've often had a few local gun collectors and ex-military with enough firepower to arm a small army. We needed the guns, I didn't have the time to ask him more about where he got them."

Lt. Williams seemed to relax a bit at his answer, and Jake silently sighed with relief, but continued to stare at the lieutenant, looking away would hint that he was lying. "Do you think he got them from Jonah Prowse?" the lieutenant asked.

Jake knew that the lieutenant had been asking more questions about Jonah lately, at least that was what Bill had told him.

"Possibly." Jake replied, willing to help throw them off track. He knew how Jonah bargained, though. "Must have come at a hell of a price then."

There were footsteps from the back hallway and two soldiers walked in, disturbed looks on their faces. They both saluted the lieutenant.

"Sir, you need to see this." One of the soldiers addressed Lt. Williams. "Out back in the shed."

A wave of panic hit Jake. Had they found something that remained from the package? Could they tell that something had been hidden underneath the shed? What if there was residual radiation?

The lieutenant, Jimmy and Jake followed the soldiers outside to the backyard. Jake remembered the day Hawkins had brought him here and showed him the bomb sitting quietly underneath his shed. The day would stand out in his memory for the rest of his life. When they had moved the package last week, Hawkins had already removed it from his shed and had it loaded on the truck when he picked him up.

"You know, Mr. Hawkins was often out here working in his shed." Jimmy said on their way out of the house. "Must have been a real outdoors kinda guy."

Out in the backyard, Jake groaned inwardly when he saw that the dirt had been dug up inside the shed and was piled just inside the door. The floor boards had been tossed outside the shed. Hawkins had said he was going to do his best to make things look normal again after they moved the package, but obviously the military had found something.

Inside the shed, they discovered two soldiers in hazmat suits had been digging up what looked to be one of the gun lockers from Hawkins storage unit. Jake let out a long sigh of relief and tried to cover it by looking alarmed at the men in hazmat suits.

"Stand back!" The solider that had retrieved them from the house suggested and waved them back. They watched as one of the men in a hazmat suit picked up a nearby Geiger counter and held it near top of the gun locker where it had been uncovered. The counter clicked softly. There was radiation inside. Everyone backed up a few steps and cleared the area.

It took several minutes for the two men in the suits to dig the locker out the rest of the way and lift it out. It was heavy and difficult with only two men doing the work, but he heard one of the soldiers say that they only had two hazmat suits with them right now.

Jake noticed a metal detector on the ground outside the shed. They had probably detected the metal of the locker under the shed and gotten curious. He wasn't sure if he should be impressed or scared that Hawkins had thought ahead enough to leave a gun locker buried as a false trail. But he wondered where the radiation was coming from. Would the package have left some behind?

He looked at Jimmy, then Lt. Williams. The lieutenant looked pleased that they had found something. Jimmy just looked nervous as he clenched his hat tightly with both hands.

As they lifted the locker out of the ground, Jake saw that it was one of the lockers that had doors on it, which were now closed. The men in the suits opened the gun locker just outside the shed after warning everyone to stay back. Inside, they saw broken rifles and empty ammunition boxes from loading the guns they had used in the fight with New Bern. A number of spent shells began dropping out of the locker and scattered across the ground. Everyone jumped back. Then several pieces of silver dishes fell to the ground mixed in with the shells. They looked like a serving tray and tea set. The Geiger counter went nuts with clicking.

"Nickel or silver alloy radiation," one of the men in a suit told the lieutenant, picking up each of the silver pieces and holding them up to the Geiger counter. His voice was muffled through the visor of the suit. Each of the pieces of silver tested positive for radiation.

Jake wondered where in hell Hawkins had gotten a hold of the radioactive silver. Hawkins had wisely used it to cover any radiation that may have remained from bomb being in the ground. Now the military wouldn't be able to tell if the radiation was from the metal alloy dishes or from something else. Jake coughed and covered his mouth, trying to cover his smile of amusement. He was amazed by Hawkins's brilliance.

"Why would someone have something like this buried in his back yard?" Lt. Williams asked Jimmy and Jake.

Jimmy shrugged. "He was always a bit strange."

Jake answered. "Probably didn't want any kids to come across it accidentally. It's not like you can just toss something like that in the trash." They did still have trash pickup in Jericho, including recycling, though most of it was done using old metal dumpsters pulled by a horse teams.

There were more questions later, like how Hawkins had had a room in the basement with a broken lock and a small formerly-walled in area in the basement that had been destroyed and showed traces of radiation as well, but the men guessed that the silver may have come from several boxes they found there. The lieutenant asked them how and why Hawkins still had a working generator half-full of gas when the rest of the town had very little fuel. The soldiers had a number of fingerprints and several boxes of materials they took with them. But overall, Jake was pretty sure they didn't find anything significant other than the gun locker, which the military also took along with the radioactive silver.

He did notice that Lt. Williams seemed disappointed and frustrated. Jake only hoped that he and Jimmy had been convincing enough. The lieutenant asked Jimmy and Jake to walk back to town hall as the search teams headed back to the military outpost. Jake wore an amused smile the entire way. The smile faded when he walked into City Hall and realized it was time for Heather's interview.

(To be continued...)


	13. Chapter 13

**_ Warning: This chapter contains content that some may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised._**

Full Circle, Chapter Thirteen

"Ms. Lisinski," Ray Wilson asked. He was the usual interrogator for all of the interviews thus far. Jake, Heather and the interview team from the military sat in one of the interview rooms in the police station section of town hall. Ray Wilson was not military and thus was dressed in slacks and a dress shirt. He was an older gentleman, with balding gray hair and wore reading glasses as he went over his list of questions and took notes during the proceedings. The military had been interviewing people one at a time in their investigations, about the battle with New Bern and events leading up to it, as well as their sweep for terror suspects. Now it was Heather's turn. "Please state your full name for the record."

The military had a full interview setup, complete with recording equipment, microphone, and someone taking notes. Lt Williams had initially sat in on the interviews, but had turned it over to this crew of soldiers, all of them in uniform. Jake also knew that sometime overnight, someone typed up transcripts of the previous sessions and had them available for Mr. Wilson to use for further research and questioning. Ray Wilson had a pile of paper in front of him, not exactly neat as he often had to finger through several piles of them to find what he was looking for. Right now, he was thumbing through them looking for something.

Jake watched as patiently as he could while they set up for the interview, feeling his own nervousness at this interview, though he knew some of it was leftover from the military search of the Hawkins house. He had gotten back to City Hall just in time for Heather's interview. Either he or Eric or one of the deputies had typically been in the rooms when they questioned people, but he had insisted to be the one in the room when they called in Heather. She looked so small sitting behind the table. She looked nervous, but not scared. He didn't like this, even though he knew it was probably for the best. If they could lock up Constantino for good for what he did, he would have some small measure of justice for his father's death and the rest who had been killed and injured in the attacks on Jericho.

Heather also looked tired. He knew she hadn't slept well again last night after having another nightmare. This time she had woken up and apologized to him, but had let him hold her while he rocked her gently until she calmed down.

The clock on the desk read two o'clock in the afternoon. They had requested a working clock in the room to allow for breaks and recording tapes to be switched out, reviewed and labeled. Each morning, they usually had to reset the time on it to be accurate as the power still occasionally went out even here in City Hall.

Heather leaned forward up the microphone. "Heather Anne Lisinski." Her voice was strong. She glanced up at him where he stood against the wall near the door. Ray Wilson's back was to him and Heather sat on the other side of the table. Jake gave her a nod, offering his support. He had told her before coming in that if she felt the least bit uncomfortable answering any questions that he would stop this. He saw that she had dressed comfortably, wearing dark blue slacks and a blue sweater that matched her eyes.

Wilson finally found the piece of paper he was looking for and pulled it out of the pile, glancing at it. "I have in front of me a transcript of the story you had given previously."

Jake raised his eyebrows, impressed. Eric had said that someone had taken notes when a military officer had questioned both her and Eric about New Bern. He just didn't know how detailed those notes were.

"I'd like for you to give me your full story of what happened, from the time before you arrived in New Bern, until the time you left." Wilson requested. "I will ask occasional questions. At the end, we will go back and review everything that you said in case you remember any more details and in case I have any more questions. I may need for you to come in again once we have reviewed the transcripts. Do you have any questions at this time?"

It was the same format he had heard time again on the interviews he had sat in on already, as well as his own. If anything, these guys were thorough.

"What if I need to plead the fifth?" Heather asked. She glanced at Jake briefly and he only shrugged.

Jake knew that Eric and Heather could still be held accountable for what they did to the New Bern factory. He had asked a similar question when he had admitted to shooting several of the deputies when they had escaped from the New Bern jail.

"I was told by Colonel Hoffman that the government isn't planning on pressing charges against any of you for what you did, in exchange for your cooperation in this investigation." Wilson replied.

That seemed to reassure Heather, but Jake wasn't so sure. Then again, he was skeptical of most things with this government. He had had Eric insist on legal documents that guaranteed in writing what the military had offered. He wasn't sure if they would hold up in any court, if there was such a court with this new government.

Wilson inquired, "Any additional questions?"

Heather simply stated, "No, no more questions."

"All right, let's begin. Let's start with the events leading up to your trip to New Bern."

After taking a big drink of water from a cup on the table, Heather began telling her story much as Jake had heard it before. She talked about their trip to Black Jack and their bad encounter with the trader with the governor. His heart ached when she mentioned his father by name. He noticed she mentioned the back room at the trader's where they had seen had cots and handcuffs. Heather tried to make her story more formal, this time leaving out the emotional and editorial comments about the state of New Bern and its people. She was a good speaker and Jake figured that was probably part of what made her an excellent teacher and why people tended to listen to her when she spoke.

Just telling Heather's beginning part of the story took over two hours, with occasional questions and short breaks to start new tapes. On one of their breaks, Jake walked Heather outside to get fresh air and make sure she was holding up okay. She seemed to be a little shaken up, but was holding her own. She had smiled up at him, her expression hard to read. He gave her an affectionate squeeze on the shoulder and they had gone back into the interview room.

Heather spoke about how she had made a deal with Constantino to make wind turbines for Jericho and New Bern if she and her friend Ted taught them how. She talked about her difficulties getting the plant workers to work with them at first, and then Constantino had insisted she stay behind when he had taken the first windmill to Jericho to make a deal with Gray Anderson. She mentioned how the men from Jericho had been placed under near constant guard and how their treatment had worsened as the weeks had passed. He noticed different things in her story this time, like how Constantino had probed Heather for information about Jericho and its defenses and its farms and manufacturing capabilities. Wilson stopped and asked her several questions during this time, asking for her opinion on what she thought those questions from the New Bern sheriff meant, which Jake found odd. Subjective opinion was not often part of a statement, though he had seen similar questions before in some of the interviews. Heather only said she suspected that Constantino was up to something, but didn't learn what until later.

It was nearly five o'clock by the time they got to the part where she had discovered Constantino making plans to attack Jericho and then how she and Eric had set fire to the mortar production lines and supplies. Thankfully, Heather left out the more personal details, like how Eric was still upset over April's death. Jake recalled that Eric had glossed over that part in his interview too. Heather started to look nervous as she spoke about being taken to the first aid station and into the examination room.

"They had a doctor examine me and then Constantino came in with another man, I think he was a slave trader." Heather said softly.

Jake stood up a little straighter. That was first time he had heard that. He had heard rumors that there was slave trading going on outside of Jericho, but he hadn't really believed it. Eric had mentioned that a man had been with Constantino when he went into the examining room to see Heather.

"A slave trader?" Wilson asked, scribbling notes. "What was his name?"

Heather shook her head then must have realized that they couldn't record that. "I don't- I don't know."

"Can you give us a visual description? Perhaps later we can get a sketch made."

Jake noticed that the rest of the men in the room, one soldier guarding the door, one taking notes and the other operating the tape recorder, had started paying closer attention. Heather went on to describe a man in dirty clothes, smelling foul and being unkempt. He could hear the disgust in her voice and saw her visibly shudder as she tried to remember more. He saw that Heather was becoming more upset by the minute at where this questioning was heading.

Wilson inquired. "How did you know he was a slave trader?"

Heather's face went totally pale and she opened her mouth as if to stay something, but stopped herself. He saw the sheer panic in her face. Her body stiffened and she took a deep breath that led to a shudder. Jake tensed up with worry and his own panic for her.

"Ms. Lisinski?" Wilson asked again, this time more forceful.

Heather looked up at Jake, her eyes full of terror, biting her lip.

"I think that's enough. If she doesn't want to answer, she doesn't have to." Jake stepped forward. He wanted to take Heather into his arms and comfort her. Something had happened in that room, he just knew it. It was something that she hadn't told anyone yet, something horrible enough that she didn't want to talk about it. His mind ran rampant with the possibilities of what Constantino and the shady man could have done in a room alone with Heather. A fierce pit of dread and anger began in his gut and echoed up his spine adding to the already existing rage he had against Constantino. His heart began to race in fury and he clenched his fists. He wanted to kill Constantino in that moment, not like he didn't have enough reasons already.

Wilson gave the cut off signal to the soldier running the tape recorder. He took off his glasses and leaned back in his chair, glaring at Jake. He appeared insensitive to the fact that Heather was visibly shaken by this line of questioning. "This could be relevant. This isn't the first time we've heard rumors about Sheriff Constantino being involved in slave trading, but we have yet to find anyone willing to go on the record on it."

"No!" Jake yelled. "If Heather doesn't want to talk about it, she doesn't have to. Colonel Hoffman said these interviews were not mandatory."

The tension in the room was high. Jake could hear the slight hum of the tape recorder. The soldiers were watching him and Wilson. Heather was shaking and looked on the verge of crying.

Wilson steepled his fingers in front of him. "That is correct, but if we can get something the district attorney can use in his case against Constantino, wouldn't you want that?"

Wilson knew from Jake's interview that he wanted Constantino held responsible, especially for the death of Johnston Green and the rest of the Jericho men. Taking a deep breath, Jake stepped over to Heather, crouching down next to her chair. He laid a reassuring hand on her thigh, taking her hand in his free one, running his thumb over the back of her hand. Her skin was so soft. She felt so fragile, yet he knew inside her was strength. But whatever had happened had scared and possibly hurt her.

"Jake, it's okay, I"ll continue." Heather sniffled, looking him in the eyes. She had started to cry. He could see the weariness in her face and in the slump of her shoulders. He could feel her trembling beneath his touch. She was afraid.

"Heather, you don't have to do this," he told her. "You only have to tell them what you want, what you feel comfortable telling."

"I-" Heather started, swallowing hard. He noticed the determined lift of her chin as she struggled internally. "I don't know yet, Jake, please."

Jake looked between Ray Wilson and Heather, undecided. Then he noticed the clock. It was nearly six o'clock. They occasionally had long interviews that lasted more than a day. Eric's had taken that long. He spoke to Wilson, "Look, can we finish this up tomorrow instead? I think Heather's done enough for today and it's getting late."

For a second, he thought Wilson was going to refuse. The man just stared at him for a long moment. "All right, we'll pick up tomorrow again at nine a.m." Wilson looked unhappy at this, but the man picked up his reading glasses and pulled the notes from the nearby soldier and began reading them.

"Come on, let's get you home." Jake grabbed Heather by the hand. Wrapping an arm about her, he led her out of the room. Beneath his arm, it seemed like every muscle in her body was taut. He helped her with her coat and put on his own, leaving City Hall and walking with her toward home.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked after they walked several blocks in silence. He glanced around them and no one else was around. It was still overcast but he could tell it was starting to grow dark. Spring was just around the corner and it was still getting cold at night.

Heather shook her head.

"I'll tell them not to ask you any more about it if you feel the least bit uncomfortable talking about it."

"I'm fine." Heather said quickly. "I'm just tired."

But he was starting to learn that when she said she was fine, Heather wasn't necessarily okay. She had said the same thing in the mornings after her nightmares.

Jake stopped and turned to look at her, taking her by the shoulders as gently as he could. "Heather, if they hurt you, so help me, I will make sure Constantino pays for it, even if the government doesn't." Even if he had to drive all the way to New Bern and take care of it personally. He had heard that Constantino was under house arrest and that the military had taken over the management of New Bern. He would get to him despite that.

Heather bit her lower lip, fighting back tears. When she didn't say anything, Jake took her in his arms, hugging her gently. He noticed that she fit perfectly against him, her head just under his chin. She laid her cheek against his chest. He felt her through the opening of his jacket that he had neglected to zip up in his haste to get her home. Heather dug her arms around his waist under his coat, letting her come closer to him. Even with her own coat on, Heather felt small in his arms. He was reminded of the feel of her when he held her waking up from her nightmares. She made him feel strong and needed. She made him want to fight and work harder to make things better, for her and for Jericho, to protect them both. He didn't know when, but Heather had started to become tied to Jericho in his heart and mind.

He kissed the top of her head. "Come on, let's get home before Mom sends out a rescue party." His mother liked to have dinner right at sunset. He took Heather's hand in his. They walked the rest of the way home in silence.

At home, Jake told his mom about what had happened at the interview while Heather was upstairs washing up in the bathroom. Dinner passed quickly and quietly. Gail gave Heather worried looks all during dinner and had insisted Heather not help with cleaning up afterwards. He knew his mother and Heather had been growing closer since she had started staying here and was glad. His mother needed someone else to look after now that his father was gone and Heather seemed to be enjoying his mother's company. He could see why. Heather and Gail Green were alike in many ways. They were both strong women, caring and selfless. The two would often make small talk over dinner, talking about things going on in town and the workshops the women held at the school, or how the refugees were doing. However, he noticed that Heather didn't talk much tonight like she often did.

That night, while sitting in an armchair reading one of his dad's old history books, Jake kept an eye on Heather as she sat on the couch reading her own book. After his mom had teased Heather about disappearing to her room each night, Heather had started reading downstairs after dinner. He knew her book was about metal fabrication, but it didn't seem to be holding her attention. She kept glancing up, looking about the room or staring out the front window. She didn't seem to be turning many pages.

"Want to watch a movie?" he suggested after a while. They had already watched several movies since she had fixed the VCR, usually with his mom.

"What?" Heather looked up. "No, not tonight."

"Then you should go to bed. You look exhausted."

To his surprise, she listened and put down her book on the coffee table and got up off the couch. Giving him a grateful smile, she walked past his chair. "Thank you."

"For what?" He glanced up at her.

"For being there for me today." She reached down and gave his hand a squeeze. Her hand was soft and warm. Her touch did things to him.

"Good night, Heather," he said. "And if you want to talk, you know where I live."

For a second, it looked like she might take him up on that, as she opened her mouth as if to say something, then she stopped herself. "Good night, Jake."

"Night, sleep well." And he hoped she would for once.

Heather disappeared up the stairs.

* * *

****

The nightmare unfolded in her mind as it did every other time. Handcuffs kept her legs and arms restrained and chained to the table, only able to move a few inches. She lay naked on the cold table, a thin, dirty sheet covered her. It was dark except for a dim light bulb overhead. She tried to remain calm but panic had set in from the moment the nurse had made her take off her clothes then handcuffed her to the table.

The doctor came in and examined her, touching her and exploring places she had only let her gynecologist see before. His hands, gloved in latex, were as cold as the instruments he used. She asked questions about what he was doing and why but he didn't answer. When he had starting asking her personal questions, questions she only shared with her own doctor, panic changed to absolute terror.

"Are you sexually active?" His voice was nasal sounding and sinister, especially in her nightmares.

The nurse had stared at her, imploring her to answer with her eyes. She noticed that like the sheet, the doctor's and nurse's clothing didn't appear to be very clean. When she didn't answer, Heather was pinched by the doctor. Hard. She only shook her head no in response, tears coming to her eyes.

"When was the last time you had sex?"

This time, he squeezed her knee hard and she cried out.

"Are you a virgin?" What kind of question was that? Why would a doctor need to know that? And could a doctor actually tell?

But the terrified expression on her face must have given away her answer. She fought against the handcuffs to no avail.

Then Constantino was there with the creepy looking guy. The nurse had placed a gag in her mouth and whispered to her to remain calm.

They pulled the sheet from her, leaving her naked in front of them. The doctor was gone but the nurse stood over in the corner, quietly watching. Heather stared at the nurse, begging her for help silently with her eyes. She had never felt so exposed and vulnerable in her life. She tried to scream but the gag muffled her cries.

"Young, about 25 or so?" The man with the greasy hair and beady eyes asked, his eyes running up and down her body, sending chills of terror down her spine. The man smelled and looked like he hadn't bathed or shaved in months.

Constantino nodded, his eyes never leaving her body either.

Heather stared up at them in horror. No man except her doctor had ever seen her naked before. She shook her head and tried to scream again, but it was muffled by her gag.

"Nice body, pretty eyes. Virgin, you said?" The man's voice was high pitched and hoarse.

"We think so." Phil Constantino kept leering at her. He had a hand on the front of his pants.

"That's mighty rare these days. Something wrong with her?"

The sheriff chuckled. "Minister's daughter, so probably one of those abstinence until married types. But she's healthy, a little underweight but that's typical nowadays." Constantino's voice echoed. It sounded like he had done this kind of thing before.

"Should catch a mighty nice price then. Mind if I examine the goods a bit first?"

Freezing, filthy hands ran down her body.

Heather woke up screaming.

* * *

"Sssssh, Heather," a soothing voice spoke against her hair. Arms held her gently against a solid, bare chest. 

"No, no, no, no!" she yelled, struggling, her mind still trapped in the nightmare. Her mouth was free to scream again. "God, no, don't touch me, stop!"

"Sssh, it's me. It's Jake, Jake. Hush, baby." He rocked her gently as consciousness slowly took over and the panic and terror in her body slowly dissolved, leaving her with nothing but tears and a deep emptiness she felt throughout her entire body.

"Jake?" she whispered, her voice hoarse from screaming. Reality was streaming into her consciousness. She sensed the darkness of her own bedroom around her and the feel of Jake beside her, holding her.

"It's me. I've got you. No one is going to hurt you again, I promise."

It wasn't the first time the nightmare had awakened her. Jake had been here the last couple of nights Again, he held her in his arms. She felt the smoothness of his chest against her cheek. The dog tags he always wore clinked against his chest when she moved, a spasm of sobbing making her tremble against him.

Hot tears slowed to a trickle and she took deep breaths, trying to calm down. Long, quiet minutes passed. The only sounds were her quiet sobs and raspy breaths and Jake murmuring into her hair. She inhaled his warm scent as she breathed and found it familiar and comforting. She felt safe in his arms, feeling the beat of his heart against her cheek and it soothed her. She felt the lure of sleep calling her again. She wanted to forget what happened again, to sink into a blissful sleep free of memories.

"Heather," Jake said against her hair. He grew very still. When she didn't respond, he continued. "Tell me about the nightmare."

She shook her head against him. She didn't want to talk about it.

"I need to know," he insisted. She could feel his voice rumbling in his chest as he spoke. "If Constantino did something to you, so help me I will kill him."

The pain and horror of the nightmare, of what had happened, were too real in her mind. Talking about it again would only bring it back again when all she wanted to do was forget about it. Her mind went back to the interview today. A tiny voice in her head told her that the military needed to know the truth. The interview had reminded her of that, though it had been more difficult that she had expected. She had been debating all week what she should tell them. The interviewer had thrown her off her intended course of acting casual with his questions today. She hadn't expected him to hone in on her claim that the man was a slave trader. That would lead to him needing to hear what had happened to her and she wasn't sure she wanted to talk about that. But if all they had was hearsay and no eyewitnesses, they might not ever know the horrors of what had really been happening in New Bern. They needed to know so they could stop it, in New Bern and elsewhere. She knew she needed to talk about it, but had no idea who to tell up until now, yet Jake was here and seemed interested. The warmth and concern in his voice was unmistakable.

Jake nuzzled her hair, one hand stroking down her back as she laid against him. "Something happened in New Bern, in that room, didn't it?"

She nodded against his chest, not willing to look up at him lest he see her shame.

"Tell me, Heather. Please." Jake pleaded with her. She felt the warmth of his chest against her cheek, the gentleness of his arms around her. It gave her strength. He stroked her hair with a hand. His touch was gentle and soothing.

And she told him most of what had happened. How the doctor had examined her and Constantino and the slave trader had come to see her and the filthy man had run his hands all over her body and touched her inappropriately. She left out the part about her value as a virgin. It was embarrassing enough telling this story, let alone admitting to Jake her lack of experience.

Jake listened quietly, asking the occasional question, still holding on to her, his voice indicating how horrified he was at what had happened. At the end, she was crying again, remembering the feel of those hands on her bare skin, touching her. It made her flesh crawl thinking about it and she shuddered and started shaking again. It made her feel so unclean. She usually spent long minutes in the shower washing, needing to erase the memories and how dirty it made her feel. Jake's arms tightened about her. She couldn't stop the tears from coming. She felt the release of emotion, of shame and horror and just let it all go for once.

A long time later, Heather finally cried herself out. Jake held her the whole time, comforting her with soothing words and gentle caresses. Jake stroked her hair, his lips kissing her temple. He lifted her chin with a hand and kissed her tears away, across both eyes, over her brows and down each cheek. Then his lips found hers and she found herself kissing him back. It was a gentle, tender kiss, one of comfort, not of passion, and the kiss ended as quickly as it had started. Heather buried her face into his neck and let his warmth flow over her.

"I won't let them hurt you again, Heather. I promise." Jake repeated against her hair.

She didn't remember falling asleep again. All she recalled was the feeling of being warm and safe in Jake's arms and never wanting to leave.

* * *

Heather told the same story to the interviewers the following morning. Jake watched her carefully, seeing the dark circles under her eyes, knowing she was just as tired as he was. But her eyes were steady, her chin up with determination as she related the events that had happened in the plant first aid center, much as she had told him the night before. He was proud of her. Heather was strong and would get past this, he knew. He only hoped the nightmares and memories would fade with time and not do her any long term harm. She was far too sweet and innocent to have that ruin her. She already seemed a bit better just from talking about it finally. If they could hold Constantino accountable for what he had done, even better. 

A hundred years after the Civil War and thanks to the devastation of the bombs attacks, slavery had returned to America. The men conducting the interview seemed disturbed by what they heard. Jake didn't blame them, he knew he was. He had spent long hours watching Heather as she slept last night, worried about her and about what she had told him. It was easy to turn a blind eye to the horrors of what mankind could do when all law and order failed. Jake had seen how terribly women and children were treated abroad. He had heard stories and hadn't believed them there either. To have it happening in his own state by people he used to know was worse than tragic. But the truth was there, on Heather's face as she told her story. Constantino needed to pay for what he did. To his people, to women and children, to Heather, to Jericho and to his father. And they needed to get the country back in order and put a stop to the chaos and the suffering it was causing.

Ray Wilson asked her many questions and Heather answered them to the best of her ability and with a fortitude that surprised him. After she finished the rest of her story, of her escape and waking up at Camp Liberty, he asked her if she would be willing to testify in court to the things she had just told them. Lt. Williams had warned him that he, Eric and Heather might be called in to testify if and when Constantino was ever brought to trail.

Heather looked at him, looking for help answering the question. Jake only nodded and Heather answered yes. If they called on them to testify, he would be there for Heather and his brother.

When she was done, she looked up at him and he only mouthed, "Good job." Afterward, he walked her back home and told her to take it easy for the rest of the day. Jake held her in his arms for a long time, feeling her softness against him. He kissed her gently on the forehead as he left, giving her a proud smile. He had told his mother some of what Heather had told him and his mother had been equally horrified. Gail promised to distract Heather for the rest of the day.

Jake walked back to City Hall, not looking forward to the pile of complaints Bill had warned him that they needed to go through when he got back.

(To be continued...)


	14. Chapter 14

Full Circle, Chapter Fourteen 

When Jake arrived back at City Hall after leaving Heather in his mother's care, he found a flurry of activity in the sheriff's office that he almost walked past. He had seen several Humvees parked outside, but figured Lt. Williams had just come to City Hall to meet with Gray again.

"He's here!" He heard Jimmy shout in the mix of voices all trying to talk over each other.

Jake stopped in his tracks, not sure he wanted to get involved in something right now. He had enough on his mind after Heather's interview.

Jimmy, Bill, Eric and Gray Anderson were standing just inside the police station talking with Lieutenant Williams and Colonel Hoffman. Jake was surprised to see the colonel as he rarely came into town. They looked in the middle of a heated discussion that Jake's entrance had just interrupted. All conversation stopped as everyone stared at him through the open doorway. Jake felt like a deer caught in headlights. Gray, Eric and the deputies had concerned expressions on their faces. Colonel Hoffman cleared his throat and Lt. Williams looked annoyed.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked from the doorway, panic setting in. Had they found Hawkins? Had they caught on that he wasn't being entirely truthful about what he knew? Had they found something at Hawkins house? What if they found the package somehow? All of the guilt of his past misdeeds seemed to simmer up inside him as he felt like he had been just been caught doing something wrong. Or someone in Jericho had, Jake tried to tell himself. _Don't look guilty_, he reminded himself.

"We need you to come with us." Colonel Hoffman demanded, looking at Jake. "All of you."

"We found a dead body outside of town. Someone you might know." The lieutenant explained.

Everyone was looking at Jake to see how he took the news. Obviously he was the last one to receive it. He knew that a dead person could be a major concern right now. They had very few murders in Jericho and that had been a point of pride for his father after his decades of serving as mayor. Yet they had had at least eight murders since the bombs went off, including the sheriff, two deputies, Gracie Leigh and that John Doe Jimmy had checked out in the middle of winter. Three others they contributed to tensions and crimes related to the lack of power and food. All of them except for Gracie Leigh's and the murders of the sheriff and his deputies were unsolved. They were still looking for Mitchell McCafferty as their prime suspect for killing Gracie Leigh, though Mitchell's family and Jonah Prowse hadn't seen him since a few days after Gracie Leigh had been murdered, leading them to believe that he fled town. They had a number of missing persons reported since the bombs went off, as well as several families that tried to leave Jericho in the middle of winter. Thus, a dead body outside of town could be anyone at this point, Jake knew, but he wondered why the military wanted them all to go out to see it, which could only mean it was belonged to someone significant.

"Who?" Jake glanced about the group and settled on Jimmy, who only shrugged at him unknowing. Was Hawkins dead? Jake began to worry. Maybe someone caught him trying to come back to town. If Hawkins was gone, that left Jake on his own... with a nuclear bomb.

"That's what we'd like for you to tell us," Lt. Williams said mysteriously, pointing to the door leading out of City Hall and not saying a word further.

"They aren't telling us," Eric whispered in his ear on the way out the door. "Gray made a scene about it, getting all defensive. They said they wanted to wait for you to join us, wanting us all present for this."

Jake glanced at Gray Anderson, who did look aggravated. He wondered what exactly the officers were up to. It didn't look good, whatever it was. He suddenly felt like the bad boy being dragged out by his father to witness something wrong he had done. The way Lt. Williams and Col. Hoffman walked rapidly outside showed that they were in a hurry and were upset about something.

They were escorted outside to the military Humvees Jake had seen parked outside and told to climb in. Jake ended up in the same vehicle as his brother and Bill. No one said a word on the ride out, the loud engine made it nearly impossible to talk anyway. Eric kept giving him nervous glances, however. It was a clear sunny day today, though the temperature was still cool for an early spring day. It was cold in the Humvee since it didn't have heat. Several miles outside of town, along an old deserted road a mile off the state road, they came to a small wooded area where more military vehicles were parked. One of the vehicles looked like a modified Humvee, one of several he had seen at the outpost. He had seem these in Iraq and Afghanistan. The back part of the vehicle was enclosed and reinforced and often used for moving and supporting computer and communications equipment. There were a number of soldiers huddled around a spot not far away from where they parked. They wore hazmat suits and a couple had shovels. One had a camera and was taking pictures.

As they got out of the vehicles, the stench was terrible. Jake had a vague memory from his childhood when he had come across an decaying deer carcass while out hunting with his dad. This smell was worse. Gray and Bill immediately looked nauseated. Eric used his shirt to help cover his mouth and nose and Jake did the same, pulling his t shirt up from the layers of shirts he wore. It helped a little bit. Jimmy took a folded handkerchief out of his pocket and used it to cover his mouth. The soldiers and the officers seemed to handling the smell better than the Jericho crew.

Colonel Hoffman walked over to the modified Humvee and knocked on the back side door. A soldier in a different style uniform and wearing glasses opened the door and got out as soon as he saw the colonel. He saluted the officer with one hand. In the other, he carried a manila folder. Jake noticed that this soldier looked slightly older than most of the soldiers they usually saw, probably in his mid to late forties by his best guess, with gray hair cut short and a weathered looking face. He looked older than Colonel Hoffman. Then again, the military was recruiting anyone willing to serve from what he had heard. Jake saw the name Garrett on the label on the front of the soldier's uniform as well as a badge that looked like a medical insignia by his best guess.

"Did he confirm the digital pictures?" Colonel Hoffman asked the soldier. Jake saw through the open door of the Humvee that it was dark inside the vehicle but he thought he could see what looked like a wall panel with monitors and other equipment inside. He saw movement that looked like the arm and hand of another soldier typing at a keyboard.

"Yes, sir, he was pretty sure. We'll know for sure if we can compare dental records and get a better fingerprint." The soldier with Garrett on his uniform replied.

A look passed between the colonel and the lieutenant. Lt. Williams shifted on his feet, clearing his throat and glancing over at their group from Jericho.

"Do you have the photo print out comparison?" Colonel Hoffman asked.

The soldier handed the manila folder to the colonel, who opened it and glanced down at it. From around Col. Hoffman's shoulder, Jake could see a photograph on one side of the open folder and what looked like a color printed photograph on the other, but he couldn't get a close enough look to make either out. The colonel closed the folder and handed it back to the soldier before Jake could get a closer look.

"What do you think? Gut reaction." The colonel asked the soldier.

"I believe so," the soldier replied.

"That's what we thought, too." Lt. Williams said looking at the Jericho group.

Jake was getting impatient. What was all this about? Who were they trying to identify? He shifted on his feet uneasily, trying to ignore the horrible smell and try and guess who this body might belong to.

"Did the fingerprint you got turn up anything yet?" The colonel asked the soldier.

The soldier answered. "Not yet, but its taking time. Our imprint from the corpse wasn't one hundred percent and it's taking a long time to run a comparative search. I can get a better print at the autopsy."

"All right," The colonel glanced at their group before facing the soldier again. "I want you to personally escort the body back to Cheyenne to complete the autopsy personally. And let me know if you get a match on the fingerprint before you leave."

"Aye, sir." The soldier glanced at the group of them and nodded at Lt. Williams.

The colonel nodded at the man. "Thank you, Specialist Garrett."

Specialist Garrett saluted the colonel and climbed back into the vehicle, closing the door behind him.

"Over here." The lieutenant led them over to where the soldiers were working on clearing the dirt and other debris from the corpse. Colonel Hoffman followed along behind them.

As they came closer, the smell grew stronger. Jake was glad he hadn't had lunch yet, else he probably would have lost it by now. The soldiers surrounded a shallow grave in the ground. Inside the hole in the ground was a decaying body dressed in jeans, a dark blue shirt and what had probably been a light colored vest. The corpse was still partially covered with dirt, rocks and roots that the soldiers were removing slowly by hand. The body had long brown hair and it was hard to tell the skin color due to the decay. The vest looked to be stained by dirt or something else, Jake wasn't sure. He had seen his share of dead bodies before, but usually not in this state of decay. He steeled himself, keeping his shirt tight over his mouth and nose as he gave it a good look. Jake couldn't quite make out the features on the corpse's face, but he thought he saw a flash of recognition on Jimmy's face. A retching sound came from behind Jake and he glanced behind him to see Bill losing his breakfast.

"Recognize this person?" Colonel Hoffman asked the group of them.

Eric, Gray and Jake either shook their heads or said no. He heard Bill mumble no behind him.

"Are we supposed to?" Jake asked, suddenly defensive. They were obviously being set up for something, probably to see how they reacted.

"Sarah Mason," Jimmy answered, recovering his nose and mouth with his handkerchief as he held his hat in the other.

The lieutenant blinked with astonishment at Jimmy, then nodded at Colonel Hoffman. The look that passed between the lieutenant and colonel told Jake that they had known who it was as well. Jake wondered if that was what Specialist Garrett was working on confirming. They likely used the computer equipment in the modified Humvee to transfer data and possibly digital pictures via satellite back to Cheyenne. If so, who had visually identified the corpse as the soldier had told Colonel Hoffman? Her picture must have been in the manila folder. Where had they gotten one of Sarah Mason?

"How did she die?" Eric asked. Jake knew his brother hadn't seen many dead bodies before, but seemed to be holding up okay.

One of the soldiers in a suit lifted the body carefully and turned it over. He pointed with a gloved hand to a hole in the back of the corpse. The soldier with a camera snapped a couple of pictures, the flash going off with each picture.

"Gun shot to the back is our guess, but it could have been the front as well," the lieutenant answered and nodded to the soldier who put the body back in place. "We'll do a full autopsy to find out."

Jake studied the vague remaining features of the face. It could resemble the woman who's picture had been on Hawkins bulletin board. He wondered if Hawkins would have shot someone in the back. He vaguely recalled that Hawkins had said she was dead and had been killed at his place but hadn't said how she had died. He guessed that Hawkins had buried her out here. Glancing around, he noticed that it was a fairly remote location just outside of town, though he wasn't as familiar with this area. There were a couple farms around, but without vehicles, it wasn't likely that anyone would have been walking this way normally though people often took short cuts overland to save on walking. He noticed that this area was fairly rocky which would have covered any tracks someone may have made if they drove out here to hide the body. With the overgrowth in the woods, it was unlikely anyone would have spotted the shallow grave, but the smell may have given it away.

Two soldiers carrying a body bag walked up to the grave. Colonel Hoffman waved their group back away from the corpse to give his men room to work. They all looked grateful to move away. There was fresher air twenty yards away in a clearing where they paused to talk. They didn't need to cover their noses and mouths anymore and Jake lowered his t shirt as he paced around, trying to clear his mind and head of the smell and what they had just seen. He stopped when the lieutenant began to speak.

"One of your residents reported something smelling bad out here to us and we came to check it out," Lt. Williams told them. "Probably was buried in winter."

Jake was surprised someone had told the military first instead of coming to Jimmy, Bill or the border patrol. This area was still inside the road blocks, so he wondered why it hadn't been reported to the nearest border patrol post first. It made him uneasy to think that Jericho's residents might be losing confidence in them.

"Was she one of the terrorists you've been looking for?" Gray asked, looking nauseous but also a bit shaken up. "I think she came to town with the refugees that came with Roger Hammond."

Lieutenant Williams glanced at Colonel Hoffman. The colonel nodded his approval.

"We think so, or was involved with them somehow," the lieutenant answered.

Jake tried to remain calm and indifferent and feign surprise that they had actually found a terrorist in Jericho, trying to mimic the shocked reactions of Eric, Bill, Jimmy and Gray. This now confirmed what he already knew but it was now positive for the rest of the group. He felt anxious about it, as he was hoping they wouldn't find any hard evidence to back up the military's claims so that he could shelter Eric, Gray and the rest from what he already knew. Now the military was confirming it for them; they had had terrorists involved with the bombs here in Jericho. Things would never been the same for Jericho from now on now that they knew they were not untouched by the evil of the outside world. Terror had definitely come to his hometown. He wondered how much the military really knew. Did they know that Sarah had been CIA? Or had they just been told that she was tied to the terrorist plot? Was someone just feeding Lt. Williams and Colonel Hoffman information and they were doing their required jobs? Jake knew they had been asking about Sarah Mason not long after her name had shown up in the list of newcomers that had come to town. They must have compared their lists of names with some sort of database or had someone else reviewing the lists of names they had given the military. Obviously, Lt. Williams had been told to look for her and Robert Hawkins. Both he and Jimmy had been asked about both in their own interviews.

"So she was one of the ones you were looking for?" Gray asked.

"Yes, but we don't think she was working alone." Lt Williams replied, raising an eyebrow at them.

A long moment of silence passed. Jake could have sworn that he could hear the gears of thinking working around him. He waited for the next logical conclusion to be reached. Jimmy got there first.

"Is that how she knew Robert Hawkins?" Jimmy asked. The deputy looked pretty upset and it just wasn't at the sight and smell of a corpse. Disappointment was creeping into his expression.

"Probably," the lieutenant said. He was watching Jimmy carefully, Jake noticed, while Jimmy was looking at Jake, a confused expression on his face.

Jake sighed, trying to not look Jimmy in the eyes yet. Jimmy was probably realizing that Hawkins might not the good guy he thought he was, especially if Sarah Mason had ties to terrorism. He wondered if they had looked Hawkins up in the FBI database yet. Jake decided to take a gamble and see what happened. "Maybe she was a contact for him for his work with the FBI."

"Wait, are you saying Hawkins may have been involved in terrorism and had something to do with the bombs? I thought he was FBI." Gray asked.

"He wasn't working for the FBI. He's not listed in their database as an agent," the lieutenant stated.

There were sharp looks of surprise all around the Jericho men. Eric was glaring at Jake now but he ignored him. But Hawkins was CIA, Jake knew, but the lieutenant didn't mention that. Maybe they didn't know that, however. Jake looked around the group and saw that Colonel Hoffman was watching him carefully. He'd have to guard his emotions carefully.

"But his fingerprints did show up in the FBI database as a convicted felon." Lt. Williams added.

Jimmy stared at Jake, his jaw hanging open in shock. Jake knew that Jimmy had seen all the fake ids that Hawkins had had and Jimmy had taken his word that Hawkins was legitimate. Hawkins had too much stacked against him now, despite Jake's attempt to cover for him. He would have to have a long talk with Jimmy after this. Jake just shrugged and tried to act nonchalant. "Seemed real enough to me."

Colonel Hoffman spoke up. "The good ones always do. Don't feel bad that you didn't know. The man was probably good and well trained. And that's what makes him so dangerous, so if there's anything any of you can tell us about him, where he might have gone, people he might have talked to, anything that would help us all. We need to stop him before he can hurt anybody and so that he can be held accountable for his involvement in the bombs."

Eric jumped in, eying Jake cautiously. "But the man had a family."

"And most of the time, the family doesn't even know what's going on. It's part of their cover." The colonel added.

"No wonder he had family problems," Jimmy said. He had put his handkerchief away and was crushing his hat as he held it in both hands.

"So it was all true," Gray began. The mayor still seemed to be taking it in. "We did have terrorists here. But why? Why Jericho?"

Lt. Williams looked at Gray when he replied. "Jericho is centrally located away from all the cities that were hit. It would be a safe spot if you wanted to avoid radiation. Good place to rendezvous, especially with your farms and resources."

Jake already knew the answer to that as well, but wasn't sure that the terrorists themselves would have known that necessarily. That had been why Hawkins' CIA team was coming here once they knew where some of the bombs were going off. But Hawkins had said that his terrorist cell had only instructed him to plant the bombs and get out of town if they could. They had been asked to die if necessary for their mission, never having any further instructions, let alone a meeting place for after the bombs. He wondered if the lieutenant had been fed the information about Jericho being a safe area. If so, then this military, in particular Lt. Williams and possibly Colonel Hoffman, really did think that Hawkins was a terrorist and that was why Hawkins had brought his family here. It hinted that they were being kept on a tight string on the actual facts of the matter and were just soldiers doing their ordered job. But who was ordering them?

"Why didn't any of you ever follow up to see where Sarah Mason had gone?" The lieutenant accused the group of them. "Didn't you find it suspicious for a single woman to take off alone in the middle of winter after she had walked so far to get here?"

That had been the story Hawkins had told Jimmy when he had been looking for Sarah Mason. Jimmy had stated the same thing in his interview. He recalled that Jimmy had said that they thought she may have been involved in another murder just outside of town about the time that she disappeared. They hadn't had a lot of time to follow up on that murder, let alone the disappearance of every person who left Jericho. They just didn't have the manpower or tools for in depth investigations anymore, let alone a court system for trying anyone.

Jimmy shifted on his feet, looking guilty and frustrated. He answered the lieutenant, sounding defensive. "She seemed pretty capable of taking care of herself. I guess-" Jimmy caught himself, "I guess I never though Hawkins would be capable of anything bad. He seemed like a nice guy with a family and all."

"Is that why didn't you question Hawkins further about it? Shouldn't it have been routine police procedure to question him further?" Lt. Williams asked, becoming more and more aggressive with his questions. He glanced angrily at all of them. "Have you been protecting him for some reason? Trying to cover up that you really knew he wasn't what he said he was, like about him claiming he was from the FBI?"

Jake got the impression that this was why they had all been brought here, to see their reactions and shock them into telling them more information about Hawkins if they had it. Jimmy looked upset. Jake knew he took his job very seriously and didn't like being accused of possibly neglecting his duty. Jake gave him a reassuring look and jumped back into the conversation with more vehemence than he intended but he wanted to put a stop to this. "We've told you everything we know about Hawkins except for the FBI part and it's been the truth. We don't know where he is, we had no idea what he was up to if he was involved in the terrorist plot. We saw no sign, especially since he showed up here before," Jake emphasized the word 'before', "the bombs went off with his family no less."

He continued, trying to keep his voice a bit calmer and glaring at the lieutenant, "He seemed like a decent person. You can't hold that against us if we had no way of verifying his identification, especially if he didn't seem suspicious. It's not like we could call Washington or the local FBI office. They'd both been blown to bits. Plus Hawkins was really helping us out when we really needed it. He didn't seem the type to be involved in terrorism or hurting anyone, let alone being part of destroying the United States."

Lt. Williams looked taken aback by Jake's outburst. The lieutenant paused for a long second before sighing and firing right back. "Look, we've been hearing more and more complaints about unrest and things getting out of control here. If you can't handle matters such as security in this town, completing thorough murder investigations and following up on missing persons and keeping tabs on newcomers and suspicious characters, perhaps you need further assistance-"

"We've got it handled," Eric interrupted him. His brother looked just as angry as he felt. "We were short handed after the sheriff and two deputies were killed right after the bombs went off."

Jake felt sure that this was the second reason why they had been brought here, to prove that they were losing control of running Jericho and couldn't be counted on to follow up on missing persons and murders properly. He regretted being so defensive about Robert Hawkins and noticed that the colonel had been watching him cautiously as he spoke and mentally told himself that he needed to back down. If they thought Hawkins was a terrorist than he needed to look like he was cooperating with the military.

"And why haven't you hired more deputies and replaced the sheriff?" The lieutenant asked.

Eric looked at Gray for a response, but the mayor didn't answer. Jake knew that Eric had brought up the issue several times with Gray. They needed to get more help, yet not a lot of people were qualified, that had been Gray's excuse. Gray was slow to trust anyone.

"We have been trying to, but it's a little hard to get volunteers for a crappy job with no pay right now." Eric stated. "Jake and I have been helping out Jimmy and Bill in the meantime."

"And we're working on an idea on how to deal with that better," Jake added and he saw Gray give him a surprised look. They hadn't had a chance to mention the town charter idea to the mayor yet. "It's very preliminary, though."

"If you need us to come in and help out-" the colonel began, sounding earnest. Colonel Hoffman didn't come across as overbearing and assuming as the lieutenant.

"No, we'll handle it, and if we need your help, we'll ask." Jake interrupted the officer and regretted being rude to the colonel, but he didn't like Lt. Williams' attitude and it was carrying over. He noticed that the colonel had not gotten very involved in the debate but had been observing them quietly. "We just need a little time. It's been rough the past couple of months, but we're not going to let a murder or people go missing without proper attention from now on, I promise. It would also help if your military patrols could get some of the crime and problems outside of Jericho taken care of. A lot of the issues we've been having are due to strangers and the organized crime groups coming in and stealing or sabotaging the farms and homes outside of town."

"We are helping with that," the colonel said, "but it's going to take time. A lot of our resources are also being used to uncover any terrorists in this area so that they can be held accountable. So anything you can tell us about Sarah Mason or Robert Hawkins, now is the time to tell us and help us get this dealt with."

"We've already told you everything we know," Eric repeated.

"Like you didn't tell us he was FBI?" The lieutenant accused, still obviously angry with them,. Jake noticed that the colonel did give him a warning glance this time. "Maybe you haven't been taking us seriously that finding these terrorists is important."

"We know it's important. Do you think there may be others in the area we're not aware of? " Jake asked, setting them up with a leading question. He knew that a few days ago, they had found a house far outside of town that contained computer equipment and another dead body but it had been far enough outside of Jericho that they hadn't brought it up to Gray or the rest of them. Emily had mentioned it to him after having overheard one of the soldiers talking about it.

"Perhaps, but Robert Hawkins is important." Lt. Williams answered. "So you will also tell us everything you can about Hawkins? Anything else you can think of? Where he may have went when he left town?"

"Yeah," Jimmy said. He looked shaken up still. "I'll talk to my wife and see if she can think of anything else his wife or kids may have mentioned."

"That's a good start." The lieutenant looked pleased with himself. His attitude irritated Jake, not like he didn't have enough to be angry about lately. He didn't like the direction this entire encounter had taken and knew they had been set up to see how they would react, both to the body and the news about Hawkins. It also made them look bad about not handling crime and missing persons, Jake knew. He and Eric would have to get to work on that town charter fast and see if they could make it work. They had tried to get people to work as deputies, even some of the ex-military vets, but they had had little interest. With the town charter, they could at least work out a rate of payment or exchange for work that would make it worth it. And Jake was going to have to have a long talk with Jimmy. Looking at the deputy, he saw that Jimmy wasn't taking all this news well. Neither was Gray or Eric. Eric kept giving him long searching looks.

There was a chirping sound that reminded Jake of a cell phone ring, something he hadn't heard in ages. To his surprise, Colonel Hoffman pulled a cell phone out of a pocket on his military belt and answered it. "Hoffman."

They heard the colonel's side of the conversation. The officer didn't even walk away to keep his call private. "Yes, sir. I have them here. No, they don't know where he went. They were surprised by the body. Yes, I think they will continue to cooperate with our ongoing investigation. We'll be bringing the body back as soon as we can get it moved and loaded on the chopper. No, we didn't find any other evidence with it."

"I didn't think cell phones worked anymore," Gray asked the lieutenant.

"Satellite phone," the lieutenant explained. "All command officers have one. Rather limited supply. I'm still in line to get one."

"You want that already?" The colonel asked into the phone, glancing around at their small group, stopping his gaze on Gray. "All right, I'll let them know." The colonel now looked annoyed again. "Yes, I'll give you a full report by the end of the day." Colonel Hoffman hung up the phone and returned it to his pocket..

"Director of Homeland Security," he said to their curious stares. "That's how important this is."

"The one from Washington DC?" Jake asked innocently. He wasn't sure if the one from Washington D.C. had survived the bombs or if people from the original government had split to join this government or perhaps the one in the East. They had not heard much about the president and his cabinet, even if he was keeping to the same U.S. Constitution and government, or even had people from the original government. He was surprised to see that a cabinet level director was working directly with a lower-ranked officer and not going through the chain of command for the military. He wondered who the generals in this military were and what they were up to.

The colonel stared at him, looking uncomfortable. "No, the president has appointed his own cabinet. He wants to get to the bottom of what happened with the bombs and put the Director of Homeland Security in charge of it."

"And you think this Sarah Mason and Robert Hawkins were a part of it?" Bill asked. He didn't look as green now that they had moved to where the air was fresher.

"Yes," The lieutenant told him.

"Do you know how?" Where are you getting this information?" Eric asked.

"We have our orders from above. A full investigation is underway with information they received from the sites where the bombs went off as well as a CIA operation that had been ongoing to stop it." The colonel answered.

It sounded like the first bit of truth Jake had heard yet from the officers. So he decided to ask casually, "Who's this new Director of Homeland Security?"

"Thomas Valente, he used to work in the department in Washington. We're glad to have an experienced person on board." The colonel replied. "I report to him directly on this matter."

Jake felt like the ground had dropped out beneath him. Not wanting his reaction to give anything away, he turned to watch the soldiers lifting the corpse of Sarah Mason out of the ground and into the body bag. Hawkins had been right after all, about Valente and this government.

Fortunately, the colonel dropped his next bomb of information and stunned him enough to cover his reaction. "I've also been informed that we will need some of your supplies in order to remain here and keep protecting your roads and town."

Gray looked alarmed. "What?! What kind of supplies? We barely have enough as it is."

The colonel answered, "Salt, food, any metals or ores you might have as well as stone from any quarries. Petroleum from the oil wells if we can figure out a way to transport it. I understand you also have a sawmill. We could use things like lumber."

"It's not operational, no power." Jake answered, not liking where this was heading. He felt fury blazing inside him. They were struggling to survive as it is. They had barely made it through the winter and until the spring crops came in, food was tight. He saw Eric nervously rubbing the back of his own neck trying to hide his anger as well.

"But what about the fuel and medicine you promised us? We need them both desperately. Without fuel, it's going to be hard to plant enough food for this winter, let alone give you any." Gray shifted on his feet uncomfortably.

"I understand, but I'm just following orders." The colonel answered but he did look like he was reluctant about having to ask them about this. "I"ll still trying to get you the fuel and medicine, but you have to understand, we have very little even in Cheyenne. The roads are still hard to keep open and the ports on the West Coast are having trouble getting in fuel and supplies from overseas. We have petroleum to trade but few oil refineries. We're trying to keep the roads open to the Coffeyville refinery as well as the ones in northern Washington and in Minnesota but they are still trying to recover from the EMP and nuclear radiation."

Gray continued to ask questions. "What's going on in the rest of the world? Isn't anyone sending aid? The U.S. was always there for other nations when they've had trouble."

"The rest of the world is still in a bit of an uproar. No one is sure who set off the bombs still. Most other countries have pledged not to get involved." Colonel Hoffman answered looking off into the distance where they could see the soldiers loading the body on a nearby truck.

"Involved in what?" Jake asked. They had heard so little information about the outside world. He knew that the U.S. had launched ICBMs a few days after the bombs had gone off. That couldn't have boded well for the U.S. if they had hit their intended targets. "Is there a war going on with other countries?"

"We really don't know much ourselves," Lt. Williams jumped in, giving the colonel a wary look. "Look, you know how politics can be. President Tomarchio is doing all he can to restore order and relationships with the rest of the country and the world. It's just going to take time to get the things we need."

"We don't have a lot of time. We barely made it through the last winter." Gray argued. "And we have people dying due to lack of antibiotics. And we need insulin and and other medication, not to mention other medical supplies."

"I know," Colonel Hoffman said. "We're trying to do the best that we can. Which is why we need more of your resources to help us all out. We can trade the goods for things like medicine."

"It's just like the income tax or sales tax," Lt. Williams added. "Except we have no currency set up, so we need to gather resources needed to purchase and trade for supplies until things return to normal."

Their own government needed their own trade goods. _Great_, Jake thought to himself. If he didn't like this new government before, this was making it worse. The government was supposed to help in time of crises, not take from those in need. _First accuse of us of not being able to do our jobs protecting Jericho and then ask us to help them out because they can't do theirs._

"We'll have a list of things we'll need ready for you tomorrow," The colonel told Gray. "I'm sorry to have to do this, but it's my orders."

"And if you have any further information you haven't told us yet about Robert Hawkins or Sarah Mason, please let us know immediately," The lieutenant repeated. He looked around at all of them and ended up looking at Jake with a steady stare.

Eric gave Jake a worried look that spoke volumes, but Jake didn't say anything, only shrugging at his brother.

(To be continued...)


	15. Chapter 15

Full Circle, Chapter Fifteen 

After the trip out to the shallow grave of Sarah Mason, the Jericho crew was dropped back off at City Hall. Jake spent the afternoon in the police station going over the long list of town complaints with Bill and Jimmy, trying to keep busy to avoid thinking about Heather's interview and the dead body they had found and the conversation that had followed. He spent one long hour talking with Jimmy and getting him to calm down and believe him that Hawkins really wasn't a terrorist. It hadn't been easy, but in the end, Jimmy trusted him, fortunately more than the military. Eric had holed up in Gray's office for most of the afternoon, trying to calm down the mayor and figure out how to handle the demands that the military was about to make. Eric had also planned on giving Gray a rough overview of their town charter idea. Jake hoped that Gray would be desperate enough now to give it a shot. Gray only came out of his office long enough to tell Jake to order the border patrol to arrest and bring Robert Hawkins in for questioning if the man was ever seen again.

Jake tried to contain his own worry and panic when he had time to think about the fact that Hawkins had been right about this military and its government. Valente was definitely involved and probably the one coordinating the effort to find Hawkins, especially now that Sarah Mason was now known to be dead. Was Valente the one who ordered those who knew about the bombs killed? How much was he working with Sarah Mason and what would he do now that he knew that she was dead? Jake expected for them to crack down even harder now in their search for Hawkins. Now he had to do better at appearing like he was helping them and he had given Jimmy the same advice, telling him to go ahead and tell the military anything he could think of about Hawkins. Jake was pretty sure it wouldn't matter anyway. They needed the military's trust more now. As the sun was setting in the west, Jake walked out to all the patrol spots and filled them in on the order from Gray. There had been a lot of questions about Hawkins, but Jake only told them that he was wanted for questioning in relation to the disappearance of refugee Sarah Mason. Gray had agreed to still keep the terrorist story under wraps, thankfully.

When Jake came home late for dinner that night, his mother said that Heather had spent the day with her watching old movies, including some of their old family movies. He was glad his mom had had done her best to distract Heather. Gail mentioned that she had talked some with Heather about what had happened and that Heather seemed to be dealing with it well, better than expected, which gave Jake a small measure of relief. Heather was already in bed by the time he got home. He ate a quick dinner with his mother, still not that hungry after the events of the day. He swore he could still smell the stench of the decayed body and tried not to think too hard about everything he had learned today and the way the military had treated them. His mother had asked him what was bothering him and he had shared what he could, not wanting to worry his mother too much. She had been through enough already, her grief and weariness still evident. She knew that he wasn't sharing everything with her, but she hadn't pressed him too much, only offering her support and giving him a big hug.

Still upset by everything that had happened that day, Jake changed his clothes and headed to Bailey's to unwind. When he arrived, Eric was manning the bar serving the wicked brew that Mary had been making for the past months. He knew that Eric often filled in for Mary on her nights off. In return, she was helping him with his paperwork. Jake noticed several men in uniform sitting at the tables and hanging out around the pool table. Only a handful of Jericho residents were here tonight. The place was dimly lit and seemed even more dark without the televisions on. Jake was alone sitting on a stool at the bar, which suited him fine.

"How long have they been coming here?" Jake asked his brother, nodding at the soldiers. He hadn't been in Bailey's that often lately but this had been the first time he had seen them in here.

"Started last week. I guess they finally let them start coming to town to have some R&R." Eric cleaned the top of the bar with a towel.

"Have they been behaving themselves?" Jake watched one of the soldiers select a few songs from the jukebox. Music started pounded from the speakers around the room. He vaguely recognized the song that played as something by the Goo Goo Dolls. It was relaxing to hear music after his tense day.

"So far, according to Mary." Eric answered, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the music. "How's Heather doing after the rest of her interview this morning?"

When they both had had a spare moment alone this afternoon, Jake had told Eric the truth of what had happened to Heather in the examining room in the plant in New Bern. Eric had felt guilty for not being able to prevent Heather from getting hurt, but relieved that at least he had been able to help her escape saving her from probably a worse fate. Jake told his brother, "Mom said she was holding up okay. She kept her busy watching old family movies this afternoon. I think she'll know all our terrible family secrets now." He wondered what Heather would think of their silly movies of he and Eric as kids. Most of the movies were from camping, hunting and fishing trips.

Eric chuckled, giving him an amused knowing look, no doubt remembering those childhood days. "Think they'll really nail Constantino?"

"After what Heather told them, for God's sake I hope so." Jake took a long drink form his glass, grimacing at the terrible taste. But he felt the alcohol hitting his blood stream like an old friend, helping release some of his pent up tension. "They said they might need us to testify in court, do you think that might really happen?"

Eric looked thoughtful for a moment. "Gray said that they had a working court set up in Cheyenne with an Attorney General and district attorney. They are beginning to prosecute people for war crimes or something similar. So maybe. That must be really interesting trying to prosecute." Jake knew his brother had once wanted to become a prosecuting attorney until it required him to move away from Jericho. Instead, he had ended up helping their father in managing Jericho.

"How did things go with Gray?"

Eric's expression changed to one of concern. "Not very good. I think he's finally seeing the light that this government isn't necessarily the best thing since sliced bread."

"Think he'll be a little more cautious now?" Jake asked. A little voice in the back of his mind kept telling him that the military was trying to punish them for not being more honest about Hawkins and not following up on what had happened to Sarah Mason.

"Probably, but we'll see what they want. Gray is going to try and negotiate with them once they get the list and see if he can get anywhere. He wants some guarantees that we'll at least get some fuel to help with the farming, maybe some medicine if he can get it."

Jake knew that they needed both desperately. Some of the farms had acres of land to plant and harvest. They had had enough fuel for last year's harvest and he knew some of farmers were working on making and using biodiesel but weren't sure there would be enough for spring planting and this fall's harvest. They needed medicine just as badly. They had had at least one flu epidemic in town already and that resulted in several cases of bronchitis and pneumonia and several deaths which would have never have happened if they had antibiotics. Jake made it a mental priority to focus on the town charter idea. The farms might need the manpower if the government didn't come through with the fuel. If they could get enough food or other raw materials, they might be able to trade for medicine and other goods. Assuming the government didn't take it all.

Jake took another sip from his drink. "Did you tell him about the town charter idea?"

Eric replied, "A little bit, told him it was still very early on and was just an idea, but asked him to give us time to get something written up for him. So... he wants something by next week."

"Looks like you and I will be even busier then," Jake gave a half-serious laugh. Not like they both didn't have enough to do. They were both putting in long hours at City Hall. They would have to work on the charter at night. He made a mental note to stop by the library tomorrow to see what books they might have that he could use for research. He wondered what Heather would think if he brought books home to read.

Eric poured a soldier a drink from one of the mason jars of brew and waited until the man was out of earshot range before asking, "Jimmy still pretty upset about Hawkins being a terrorist?"

Jake sighed, running a hand through his hair not for the first time today. He was wary of talking any more about Hawkins. "I talked to Jimmy. And Hawkins is not a terrorist."

"And how you you know that?" Eric gave him that skeptical brotherly look.

"I just do," Jake replied. He had told Jimmy the same thing, but hadn't given him any details, only telling him that he didn't entirely trust the military and government behind them. It had taken some convincing to calm the loyal deputy down, but in the end, Jimmy trusted him. "Who's word are you going to take? Your brother's or this military's?"

"Convict posing as an FBI agent, not that he seemed like the type. It sounds like they have a pretty good case against him. But you're not going to tell me how you know, are you?" Eric asked, staring at him with that familiar brotherly look of worry.

"Nope," Jake said decisively. He wish he could, but he had already warned Eric not to ask him any more before. But he still wasn't sure how well his brother trusted him even after the past few months as he had been trying to do the right things. "Just please, trust me on this."

Eric sighed, rubbing the back of his neck like he did when he was uncomfortable. "Just be careful with whatever you know and are up to. These guys mean business."

"How do you know I'm up to something?" Jake asked, though it felt good to know his brother still worried about him.

"You're always up to something."

Jake laughed to himself. Though honestly, he hadn't been up to anything other than trying to cover for Hawkins. And he was starting to have second thoughts about that, especially if they ever found out that he knew more than he let on. The military had gotten pretty close today, between the dead body, getting under his skin about them being unable to protect their residents, and the news about Valente. He hadn't heard from Hawkins at all since he left, making him wonder if he had just imagined what the man had told him. But all he had to do was head outside of town to find the proof that he needed that all of this was no joke or bad dream.

A familiar laugh echoed from over by the pool table. Jake glanced over and saw Emily's blond head as she cued up a pool shot. He hadn't noticed her when he came in, but maybe she had been in the bathroom. She was playing with two of the soldiers who were paying more attention to her rather than the game. She glanced up and saw him watching her, giving him a smile. After she missed her shot, she came over and took a drink from his glass.

"Fancy meeting you here," she teased him.

"Did you miss that shot on purpose?" Jake asked. Emily was normally pretty good at pool.

"So what if I did?" She smiled. Her eyes were slightly glazed. She was buzzed. She casually waved the pool cue in front of her as she leaned on it. "Care to play a game?"

He knew that Emily spent a fair amount of time here at Baileys in the evenings. There wasn't much else to do in town late at night. He took another big swallow from his drink. "Nah, you always beat me anyway."

"How did Heather's interview go?" she asked him.

"Fine." He saw that Emily was giving him a curious look and appeared like she was waiting for him to say more. He didn't want to go over the details of Heather's interview with Emily. The two of them were friends. At least, he thought they were. He hadn't noticed either of them spending much time together since Heather returned. If Heather wanted Emily to know what had happened, she would have to tell her herself.

When he didn't say anything more, Emily took another long swallow from his drink, rubbed his shoulder affectionately and walked back to the pool table. He saw the eyes of several of the locals and the soldiers watching her. She always had a way of attracting attention.

Jake watched her for a while. He knew that she had been seen here with Lieutenant Williams according to the rumors he had been hearing. Emily had said they were becoming good friends and he was letting her help him with his paperwork. She had been casually mentioning it to him, probably trying to make him jealous was his best guess. He tried to drum up feelings of jealousy. He was a little bit, he guessed, remembering all the great times he and Emily had had together. They had had quite a past. As he sat there watching her, he also felt a pang of something else inside him, something he had been feeling lately. It wasn't grief, he was all too aware of that, it was something else he had yet to identify. He decided to not think too hard on it tonight and took another long swallow from his drink instead.

He watched his brother take a tray of dirty glasses to the kitchen and return with more mason jars of liquor and clean glasses, setting them up behind the bar. The song changed on the jukebox. It was a song he remembered his friend Charlie playing on their road trips in Iraq, Hero by Enrique Iglesias. The lyrics struck a chord with him tonight.

_Would you dance if I asked you to dance? _  
_Would you run and never look back _  
_Would you cry if you saw me crying _  
_Would you save my soul tonight? _

_Would you tremble if I touched your lips? _  
_Would you laugh oh please tell me these _  
_Now would you die for the one you love? _  
_Hold me in your arms tonight? _

_I can be your hero baby _  
_I can kiss away the pain _  
_I will stand by you forever _  
_You can take my breath away _

Though he had heard the song many times over on their long drives in the deserts of Iraq, he found the words now reminded him of Heather, especially last night when he had kissed her tears away. He hadn't wanted to stop there, hadn't wanted to leave her side, hadn't wanted to go back alone to his own empty bed. He often felt moved by music but seldom had anyone to think about when he listened to the words, not for years anyway. That had changed recently and he found himself feeling romantic again. Alarmed by where his thoughts were straying, Jake quickly finished the rest of his drink trying to not think for a while and just relax.

Jake was halfway through his second drink when Stanley barged in through the door.

"I've been looking all over for you!" Stanley practically shouted at Jake. "I think I woke your mom up, I'm sorry. She said you were probably here."

"Is anything wrong?" Jake worried, raising a curious eyebrow at his friend. Perhaps something had happened with the border patrol. He hoped it wasn't another dead body. Or maybe Stanley had heard the news about Sarah Mason. But Stanley didn't look upset. In fact, his friend looked ecstatic with a big smile on his face.

Tossing his coat on a nearby stool, Stanley sat down on the stool next to him and spun around so that his back was against the bar. He didn't seem like he could sit still. "No, nothing wrong, I just needed to tell you the news."

"What?" Jake asked, when Stanley didn't continue. He picked his glass up to take another drink. Eric stopped what he was doing to look at Stanley expectedly.

"She said yes!!!!" Stanley clapped him on the back as he spun back around. Hard. Jake nearly dropped his drink.

"Yes? To what?" Jake felt guilty. He had been so busy with the military, he hadn't seen his old friend much lately and really had no idea what Stanley was talking about.

Stanley wore a smile that lit up his entire face. "I finally asked Mimi to marry me. And she said yes!"

Eric had been watching the exchange quietly from the behind the bar and responded before Jake could, smiling broadly as he said, "Well, congratulations! This calls for a round of drinks on the house." Though Jake and Stanley were the only ones still at the bar and no one seemed to pay for the alcohol anyway.

Jake was a bit stunned. He vaguely remembered Stanley saying he was going to ask Mimi to marry him during the fight with New Bern. He figured it was just something Stanley said in the heat of battle, afraid that he might die. He didn't think that Stanley's relationship with Mimi had really progressed that far. When had he missed that? "Are you really sure that's a good idea right now? Getting married? With everything that has happened?"

"Come on, can you think of a better time? I could have been killed in New Bern, or at the battle at my place. No better time than the present." Stanley sighed. "It just took me a while to finally work up the nerve to ask. Every time I went to ask, Bonnie or Sean would come into the room, or there would be a problem with the border patrol or out on the farm. I wanted the moment to be perfect. So I took her up to the old oak tree and asked her there tonight at sunset."

Eric poured himself and Stanley a drink and refilled Jake's glass with the clear liquor from a mason jar. Eric toasted. "Here's to the happy couple to be."

They clinked their glasses together then all drank deeply. Stanley turned back toward the bar and took another big drink from his glass.

"I'm really happy for you," Jake said at last. The good news lifted Jake's spirits a bit. He had never seen Stanley so content before. He knew Stanley had had a list of failed relationships in the past, especially since he was so busy taking care of the farm and his sister after his parents died. Not a lot of women wanted to be tied down to a life like that. But the bombs had changed a lot of things. "For both of you."

"Good, because I want you to be my best man," Stanley smiled.

"I'd be honored." Jake took another big swallow from his drink. While he was happy for his friend, he wasn't sure why the news also troubled him. The next half hour, they spent drinking together and sharing old stories. Stanley talked a lot about Mimi and how she been slowly turning into a country girl working on his farm along side him and his sister. Jake could see the pride on his friend's face.

Emily stopped by to find out what they were celebrating and gave Stanley a big hug of congratulations. He recalled that not long ago, Emily had been engaged. He couldn't remember when the last time he had seen her wearing engagement ring, however. She gave Jake a kiss on the cheek and a wink before heading back to the pool table.

"So have you two set a date yet?" Eric asked. He had sat down beside Jake at the bar since there were very few other people drinking.

"I wanted this weekend," Stanley replied. "But she wants to try and have as much of a normal wedding as possible. You know, white dress and all that. Bonnie thinks one of her friends' mother can probably help make a dress. How long does it take to make a wedding dress?"

Both Jake and Eric shrugged.

Stanley sighed as he leaned over his drink. "Would probably be easier to elope. Too bad we can't just head to Vegas anymore."

Later, after making sure Emily had someone to make sure she got home safely, Jake walked home that night, enjoying the peace and quiet. He gazed up at the night sky and was able to see many stars now that there weren't many street lights still on in Jericho. It was even more quiet now that they no longer had much traffic, especially out on the interstate and state roads. That was one thing he loved about Jericho, the silence. It allowed him to think and he found himself doing a lot of that lately.

The trip out to see the body of Sarah Mason troubled him, more than he cared to admit. The military was hammering them hard for information about Robert Hawkins. He was pretty sure now that they were being hard pressed by the government, specifically by Valente, to find Hawkins. If what Hawkins had told him was true, it was likely Valente had been a big part of the overall terrorist plot. Valente knew Hawkins was CIA but hadn't told Colonel Hoffman nor the lieutenant, as far as he could tell. Colonel Hoffman seemed very much the trained soldier obeying and not questioning orders and just doing his job. Lieutenant Williams seemed ambitious and willing to push the envelope to do his requested job to find the terrorists in the area. Did they have any idea who they were really following? For all that mattered, did Jake? He hadn't heard from Hawkins since he had left. He wondered how Colonel Hoffman might react if he knew the truth that Jake knew, assuming it really was true. He found his own doubts creeping into his mind. Hawkins could have made up his story as well, Jake guessed.

As he turned down the last street that led toward his house, Jake found his thoughts straying in another direction, especially as he thought about home and who was staying there now. He was relieved that Heather's interview was finally over, but he was still worried about what kind of long term effects what had happened would have. He was pretty sure Heather was innocent. Her reaction on the rare occasions she had seen him in his pajamas was nearly proof enough. Emily had hinted at it, too and girls often knew those kinds of things about each other. Though he found the thought intriguing, he didn't want Heather to think that all men were pigs after what had happened in New Bern. As his grandfather use to say, don't let one bad apple spoil your whole bunch.

He smiled as he remembered Stanley boisterous happiness about his engagement. His friend had finally found someone and was settling down. Most of their old friends from school had done the same years ago and had several kids already. Jake felt every one of his thirty three years all of sudden and sighed heavily, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath of the cool night air. A shudder went through him and he opened his eyes, staring at the dark quiet street in front of him. It was then that he finally identified the feeling he had been having lately. It was loneliness. The past several months he had spent helping his father and Eric with the running of Jericho. And now, he had been so busy lately, he hadn't had much time to socialize other than the occasional lunch or dinner with Emily or a rare night at Baileys. There was no television to watch anymore, no football or baseball games, no movies to go and see, no fuel for cars to take trips, not that the roads were safe anyway. Everyone seemed busy with their families in the evenings after a long day's work. All his old friends were gone or married. Stanley was usually out on his farm spending time with Mimi. Eric was living with Mary and rarely came home. In the past, he and Emily or Jonah's crew used to go out drinking or dancing, or shooting pool at Bailey's or some bar off the interstate. He and Emily had frequently made road trips to New Bern and other towns to go see movies or go shopping. His five years away as well as the bombs had changed his socializing habits, Jake realized. For the past week, he had spent nights at home with his mom watching movies or helping around the house. He enjoyed being with Heather when she joined them. He suddenly found himself thinking of Heather again as he came to his house. He saw that his mother had left the porch light on for him as usual.

Jake climbed the front steps of the house, reaching for his keys and stopped. There was a red handkerchief tied to the front door knob. Looking around, he didn't see anyone around, nor anything else out of place.

He cautiously untied the handkerchief and a piece of rolled up paper fell into his hands out of the knot. Holding it up to the porch light, the paper read, "We need to meet. North railroad tracks south of the state road at the bridge. Tomorrow night, 10pm."

Jake knew who it was from and he knew the meeting spot. After the trip out to the dead body today, he knew he would have a lot of news to share with Hawkins. He walked around the outside of the house, checking to make sure all was secure and nothing was out of place. Going inside, he double-checked all the locks on the windows and doors before going upstairs to bed. He often did that but was reminded by Hawkins note that he didn't want to leave anything to chance, not after the day he had had today.

For once, Jake had a good night's sleep. Heather didn't have a nightmare that night.

(To be continued...)


	16. Chapter 16

Full Circle, Chapter Sixteen

"Were you followed?" Rob Hawkins voice came out of the darkness as Jake arrived at the bridge the next night.

"Not that I know of." Jake had ridden one of the Green horses to their meeting spot. It allowed him to bypass the border patrol and military road blocks. His horse snorted as he dismounted. As a clear night, it was growing cold so he was glad he had worn his winter jacket and brought gloves with him. He noticed that Rob had dressed warmly as well.

The railroad tracks crossed a small creek as it ran alongside the state road. Unless a car turned directly at the bridge with its headlights, no one would notice two people and a horse standing near it. There was very little traffic on the roads around Jericho anyway, especially at night. Jake double checked the gun he had in his belt just as a force of habit, however. He rarely went anywhere without a gun nowadays.

"Come this way and we'll talk. No flashlights." Rob instructed him. 

Jake had a flashlight with him and hadn't used it for the ride out. He knew that sometimes it was better to not use flashlights at night, especially outside away from all other light like where they were. Jake could barely make out Hawkins' figure in the darkness, but he knew his horse could see better than he could and let it guide him as his eyes grew accustomed to the terrain. He followed Hawkins back into the woods where a small path passed between two hills. On the far side, it opened up into a small clearing. There was another horse already tied up there. It had a full pack of gear tied behind the saddle and full saddlebags as well as a rifle strapped within easy reach for the rider. Hawkins let Jake tie up his own horse and guided him up a nearby hill. As they reached the top, Jake could see dim lights to the south from Jericho. There weren't as many street lights nowadays and it looked different. The night sky was clear displaying an amazing ceiling of stars. The quarter moon was beginning to set in the northwest, making it a little hard to see. It was quiet tonight, too soon for the crickets to be chirping, but Jake thought he heard the sound of an owl in the distance. They came to a small outcropping of rocks that gave them a nearly full view of the land around them. Rob sat down and Jake joined him, feeling restless at this meeting.

"So where did you get the horse?" Jake asked. There were a few ranches like his family's around town and quite a few farms with horses, but he probably would have heard if someone was letting Hawkins borrow a horse. Thus, he must have ridden in from out of town. 

"Old friend of mine. So tell me what's been going on lately." Rob requested. Jake could barely make out Rob's dark skin in the night, which made it difficult for Jake to read his facial expressions. He would have to rely on the sound of his voice.

"If you only knew," Jake laughed, feeling relieved that he finally had someone to talk to. He had been a bundle of nerves all day today, worried that the military was going to surprise him again with something else. But Lt. Williams had only come to talk to Mayor Anderson this morning and drop off the list of requested supplies. There had not been any interviews or searches today. "Where would you like to start?"

"Start at the beginning, since I left town."

Jake spent several minutes filling Rob in on what had been happening since he had left. It seemed like months had passed when he knew it hadn't even been two weeks. Jake told him about the interviews and searches, including Heather's interview since that was fresh on his mind. Rob had actually seemed surprised that Constantino was involved in slave trading. He got to the part about the search at Hawkins' house. Jake told him with amusement of the military's discovery of the gun locker buried under the shed and its contents.

"How in the hell did you get radioactive silver?" Jake asked. He couldn't imagine anyone actually trying to trade it, especially after his father had said that Dale hadn't been able to trade any silver goods at Black Jack. The memory of his father brushed his mind, but he ignored it for now.

He saw the white of Rob's teeth as he smiled. "Easy. I just put the old tea set in the drum with the bomb for a few days."

"You know they found some radioactivity in your basement as well?" Jake recalled the small broken-down walled in area in the basement. Rob had said the bomb was there for a while before he moved it to the shed.

"Yeah, the bomb had been there for a while. I detected a little radioactivity still there, so I put one of the pieces of silver there for a day."

"That was brilliant."

Rob asked about the military and what they had been up to and any results of their searches, which, as far as Jake knew, hadn't turned anything up yet until yesterday when they found the body of Sarah Mason. Rob was surprised they hadn't caught on to him faster before he was able to leave town, but then again, they had been looking for Sarah Mason instead of him. He also told Jake that he was pretty sure, based on what information he had been able to gather on his own and from what Jake was telling him, that someone involved in the terrorist plot to begin with was involved with this government.

"That's why I'm glad you finally contacted me to meet, " Jake told Rob, feeling the weight of what he knew now. "They told us about the connection between you and Sarah, that you were both possibly involved with the bombs. They told Gray and the rest of us that you were a convicted felon based on the fingerprint check they did."

Rob just chuckled, not sounding as concerned as Jake felt himself. "Well, I do have a record, that's how I got into the terrorist cell. Guess they neglected to mention I was also in the CIA. I know they have access to DISA at the Warrens Air Force base, or at least a copy of the data. That should have both the FBI and CIA information in it."

Jake added, "I think it was just what Colonel Hoffman and Lieutenant Williams had been told. And it's just like you suspected, Valente is a part of this new government. He is President Tomarchio's Director of Homeland Security."

"Really?" Rob sounded surprised at that news. "I heard that the president had his own cabinet, but who's actually in it is rather hush hush."

Jake filled him in on the trip yesterday out to the where they had found Sarah Mason's body and what had followed, including the military's demand for supplies. Eric had showed him the list this morning of what the government was requesting. They wanted a quarter of what they usually pulled from the salt mine in a year as well as several hundred thousand bushels each of corn, wheat and soybeans. All of it would place considerable hardship on Jericho. Not only did they need the food themselves, but even if they had any extra, they could have traded to other towns. He wished that Gray would have fudged the numbers they had initially given the military about their resources and yearly farm output numbers. Maybe then the military wouldn't have requested so much from them.

Rob explained, "Well, from what information I've gathered out of Cheyenne, they are hurting for things like food and trade goods. They have a good supply of livestock, oil and other resources but not a lot of it is tradeable yet until they stabilize the government and businesses supplying them as well as feeding people who don't have access to farms. And they are having trouble with the western states signing on with their government, which is making it hard to get trading set up with other states and other countries. The only open port right now is in Portland, Oregon and it wasn't made to handle all the trade for the western seaboard. And there is an embargo and blockade of some sort from other countries, but I'm not sure who is doing it yet or why."

"How did you find all this out?" Jake asked. "We haven't heard much of anything here outside of Kansas."

"I know, Jake, and you probably don't want to hear more. It's not very good news. As for my sources, some of it I have been getting from the ham radio network which is still up and running. A group of them have organized into something called The Underground reporting on all the news not just the biased news that's coming out Cheyenne. If you can get one or more people working on using it in Jericho, they might be able to provide you with more up to date news. They provide nightly reports that get passed along the chain to anyone who will listen."

Jake didn't know of any active radio operators in Jericho anymore, but he could probably ask around.

"But if they do, have them be careful," Rob warned. "I'll see if I can get you more information on their network for the next time we meet. There's been a few raids by the government cracking down on them, especially because they are passing on news about the East." 

"Is there going to be a civil war with the East?" Jake asked. His grandfather had been a big Civil War buff and had often told stories about it, especially about Bleeding Kansas. He didn't want to think another civil war, especially with modern weapons.

"I don't know yet. There was some fighting in the beginning right after the bombs went off and several different organizations tried to assemble their own federal governments but it's just come down to mostly the East and West. So far, both sides have dug in and are trying to play politics with the rest of the world. I've not been able to use my laptop as much since they might be able to trace me so I can't access the national computer systems right now. But the ham radio operators are saying that the Eastern government has been rebuilding in New York and Columbus, Ohio and seems to be gathering support from the international community."

"Do they have any idea who really caused the bombs? That it was internal?" Jake started to fill the chill of the night air and pulled on his gloves.

"That's the story that's being passed along but they have no proof, though Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda are trying to take claim for playing a part. Iran and North Korea got hit by nukes, our nukes, probably the ones we saw that one night. Iran launched missiles in retaliation against Israel, but Israel was able to detonate most of them before they hit using their Arrow system. All hell nearly broke loose but the U.N. got them to stop until they got to the bottom of what really happened in the U.S. It's pretty bad out there right now. That's why aid hasn't been coming to us. A lot of the aid has been going to Iran, Israel and Asia instead."

"I told Eric and Jimmy that you weren't really a terrorist." Jake told Rob. "Jimmy was taking it pretty hard."

Rob said, "Jimmy's a good guy. I appreciate that, but Jake, be careful that you don't tell him too much. You never know who else might be listening or if he might slip up accidentally. The man means well, but sometimes he tries too hard."

"I'm also working on a town charter idea, loosely based on a tenant farming system, where we can use units of work or goods to buy and sell for services and goods in Jericho," Jake said, wanting to see what Rob thought about his idea. "We really need to become more self-reliant, and people are going to be more willing to work harder and help others if they are going to get something out of it."

Rob nodded. "Sounds like it has potential. I've heard that a lot of towns are struggling to get by right now. Crime is bad and no one is willing to step up to help protect the towns or help their neighbors. If you can get something that works in Jericho, it will definitely improve morale and productivity. I still think it's going to be a while before the government can get order restored and services back working again."

A minute passed where neither of them spoke. Jake was still trying to take it all in. The past couple of days had been intense with Heather's interview, the searches, the discovery of Sarah Mason's body and the fact that this government was somehow involved with the bombs. Too many thoughts and concerns ran rampant in his mind. He noticed that his eyes had adjusted to seeing in the dark better and he could now make out Rob's facial features in the dim light as well as the rocks and other terrain surrounding them. He could see the glimmer of light reflecting off the water of the creek far below them. It seemed so peaceful and quiet here, unlike the turmoil in the rest of the country.

"So what now?" Jake finally asked, impatient to know what Rob might have in mind. The man always had a plan before.

"I have a plan." Rob told him at last. 

Jake was afraid to ask, but he did. "And that is?" 

"I'm going to do what I do best. I'm going to get inside."

"Inside? The Cheyenne government?" Jake asked, astonished. "Do you think that's a wise idea? How do you know they won't kill you?" He recalled how Rob had told him that someone was killing all those who knew anything about the terrorist plot. And Valente seemed to be leaning hard on Colonel Hoffman and Lieutenant Williams to find Hawkins. What if they just killed Rob because of what he knew?

"They're not going to kill me until they have the bomb. I can use that as leverage if they catch me." Rob stated. "Plus, they aren't going to be looking for me right under their noses for now. But it's going to take me time, it always does. Things don't happen like they did on TV in shows like 24. I need to find out as much as I can from outside first. If this doesn't work in a few months or so, I have another idea, but that one is rather risky."

Jake ran his gloved hands up and down his thighs. The cold was getting to him, especially sitting still on the hill like this. And what Rob was suggesting sent shivers down his back. "And what's that?"

"I'd rather not think about it yet. I'd rather try my first plan and see how far I can get."

Rob had told him before that it had taken him nearly four years to infiltrate the cell planning the terrorist attacks. How long would it take him to get into the Cheyenne government? Could they even wait that long? What if a civil war broke out with the East or other contingents in the shattered remains of the country? 

"And what are you going to be looking for? Proof that Valente or others in this government might have been involved with the bombs?"

"If I can, yes," Rob answered.

"And then what would you do with it?" Jake asked. Finding that out would be great, but would there be anyone who would listen or could put a stop to this government if it had been behind the bombs?

Rob sighed. "That part, I don't know. I still know a few contacts in Europe. If they are still out there, I might be able to get them to listen and realize that this was an inside job. It will depend on how the rest of the world is reacting. And I'd like to find out what the rest of the country is really doing. Maybe the East government was also involved in the bombs or maybe they are just trying to get back on their feet, too. This all is going to keep me busy up around Cheyenne, so I need someone else to help me out. And this is where you come in. I want you to start trying to get in with the military from here in Jericho."

"Me? Why me?" Jake wasn't sure about this. He had barely been holding his own against the military's frequent questions and searches. He wondered how Rob Hawkins had done this sort of espionage for years as part of the CIA. He felt inexperienced and under-qualified next to Hawkins who had been trained for this. 

Rob sounded like he had given this plan a lot of thought. "Because I need someone coming up from the outside. Someone they think they can trust."

"And how do you propose I get them to bring me in? They're not all that fond of civilians. And they are not exactly happy with any of us in Jericho right now since we conveniently neglected to mention that you were FBI. They think we've been holding out on information on you." Lt. Williams seemed to be the one giving Jake the most trouble. Colonel Hoffman had always been respectful toward him. But they still usually dealt with Gray Anderson since he was officially in charge of Jericho as mayor. As he did often, Jake wished his father was still alive and was mayor. He may have been able to broker a deal to have Jake working for the military. His father had always been good with planning and plotting. Again, he felt the loss of his father and sighed.

Rob replied, "Tell them you just want a better job in the government helping it get started. From what I am finding out, they need guys like you. Young, smart, ambitious. You're also a pilot, right?"

"Yeah," Jake replied. He had done a lot of flying during his five years abroad. It seemed so long ago now. He hadn't flown a plane in almost a year. "Well, if they can do a background check on me, they will find out that I don't exactly have a good track record." Jake knew that his passport had been flagged by the FBI. That's why he had taken a train back home the day of the bombs. If they had been able to confirm that Rob wasn't FBI, then they definitely had access to the same federal computer systems and could look him up. 

Rob tilted his head as he looked at him oddly for a second. "That might actually work in your favor, Jake. From what I am finding out, parts of this government in Cheyenne is corrupt. Lots of nepotism and back room deals as people scramble to be part of what's going on. People with shady backgrounds but eager to use their skills to help the government move up fast."

Jake wasn't sure he liked hearing that he had had a shady background. But he had to admit, some of that was true. He had had several misdemeanors in his past, some of them while working for Jonah Prowse. His contract work abroad had done little to improve his record, especially if they could look up who he had been working for. He wasn't sure how much of what had happened in San Diego with the FBI before the bombs had made it into his record either. 

"I'm also going to need more information on what they know already and who might be connected to Valente. Names, faces, anyone I might recognize, motives and plans if we can. From there, we might be able to find out if they have any records of their involvement with the bomb, or anyone willing to go on record and tell us what really happened and why." Rob continued. "They are using their own computer network based out of the Warren Air Force base, a backup site from DISA who managed the Defense Department network. I haven't been able to get into it yet, my computer connects me to the East version and I'm not sure I trust that any longer. I've been able to get a few informants started on gathering information for me, but this operation in Jericho is sealed tight and requires security clearance to even talk about it, which is why if we can follow the trail back from Jericho, we might have better success."

"I don't know that much yet other than what they said yesterday. Lt. Williams is not giving anything away." Jake knew he had little information to go on as well. "They did find a house far outside of town that had a pretty big computer network set up, but it had been trashed from the rumors I heard. They never told me directly and I was supposed to be kept in the loop on the results of all searches. I was never sure if it had anything to do with any of thus, though. Do you know anything about that?"

"Yeah, that's probably the house that Sarah and I found and discovered a hard drive showing that they were killing off my team."

Jake sighed. "So they haven't been telling us everything about what's going on. How am I going to get them to trust me if they won't let me know about something minor like that?" He knew they were still looking for volunteers to move to Cheyenne and help with the government there, but they had never spoken much about needing help locally.

"You're smart, you'll figure something out," Rob replied.

While Jake appreciated the compliment, he wasn't sure he agreed with Rob's confidence in him. 

"You sure you don't wanna tell me what your backup plan is?" Jake inquired. He still wasn't sure he liked this whole idea.

"It's worse, and no, you probably don't want to know, so let's see if we can make this work first. Is there someone else they have begun to trust? The mayor maybe? What about Eric?" asked Rob.

Jake thought for a moment. He remembered Emily. "Wait, I think there might be a way. No, nevermind, not a good idea." 

"What is it?"

Jake paused a long moment before finally speaking. "Emily has gotten quite cozy with Lieutenant Williams. She might be able to learn more. I don't know, though." Jake hated the idea as soon as he said it, but it sounded like an opportunity, assuming he could get Emily to help. She might just do it, too, especially since she had been pretty bored lately. Plus, the lieutenant seemed to be the one more eager to capture Hawkins, where as Colonel Hoffman seemed more like a soldier obeying the chain of command in trying to track the terrorists. If he could feed information about Hawkins through Emily, they both might get on the lieutenant's good side, especially if he was as ambitious as he appeared to be. Or maybe Emily could get Lt. Williams to let her in on more about what the lieutenant knew.

Rob said, "It might work, if you are willing to take the risk. It could be dangerous for her, but if she already has his trust, we can use that."

"I'll talk to her about it. Maybe she can find out if there's a way I can get on their good side, too," Jake said. He didn't like bringing in any more people on this. He had already told Eric, Jimmy and Heather too much and Emily knew some of what was going on. He didn't know how Hawkins could do this, knowing that his family might be at risk for what they knew, or kidnapped and used against him. "What about your family? Are they going to be okay with all this going down?"

"They are safe and out of anyone's reach now. They are staying with an old friend up near Jenny Lake in Wyoming. Lots of food up there if you know how to hunt and fish. Allison has learned to ride a horse and Samuel's having a good time fishing and hiking." Rob's affection for his family sounded in his voice. "But let me tell you something, Jake, something I didn't realize until recently, until I came here to Jericho. Despite all that's going on right now, the most important thing in the world is your family and the ones you love."

Rob continued, and the depth of emotion in his voice touched Jake, "In these dark times, they will be your strength and your reminder of why you must keep fighting and working to find out who was behind the bombs. So, do some good and hard thinking as we get started with this, figure out who and what's important to you and let that be your rock and foundation because it's easy to forget who and what you are once you start going down this road. That's something they never taught us in training. So get your life in order now while you have the time, Jake, you'll need it for the times ahead."

There was something about the way Rob said it that made Jake shiver. He had often been a loner in his life due to his long line of screw ups and mishaps. He had a few friends like Emily and Stanley, and family such as Eric and his mom who had always been there for him. His father, despite their rocky relationship, was gone now. But his loneliness as of late came back to him with a ferocity that made his chest hurt. He didn't have a close family other than Eric and his mom, especially now that his father was dead and Eric was with Mary, let alone a wife and kids and he shook his head from that thought. His life had been far from in order for a very long time, if it ever was. Not that he had given much thought to getting his act together either. Maybe he needed to.

Rob continued, "You and I know now that this government had something to do with the bombs and you and I may be the only ones able to get to the bottom of it. What they did was wrong, whoever was behind it. Millions of people have died and millions more are suffering. The United States have been devastated. And for what? Someone's insane ambition and power grab most likely, but they must be held accountable and brought to light to whomever will listen."

Jake had never heard such strong conviction before, but every one of Rob's words make sense. It reminded him of his father and his grandfather when they spoke of the Civil and World Wars, that though the wars had been terrible and difficult, they had been the right thing to do in the end, despite the heavy costs and tragic loss of life. Some times, doing the right thing was the most difficult path to take. His father had often said that, he just wasn't listening at the time. Jake just hoped that what he and Rob were about to do was the right thing. 

"Jake?" Rob asked after Jake hadn't said anything for a long while.

"What?" Jake asked.

"It all starts now." Rob said simply, clapping Jake on the shoulder as he got up to leave.

On their way back down the hill to the horses, Rob gave him instructions, a few pointers and tips on how to speak to sound convincing, advice on how to proceed as well as a way to contact him and told Jake how he would let him know when it was time for them to meet again. They agreed to meet for a few days in the future weeks to catch up and plan based on what information each found out.

It was late that night before Jake got back home, walking back to town after taking his horse back to the ranch. He had checked on the package while he was out and found it still safely hidden away. Rob had made him swear that no matter what happened, he was not to reveal the location, even under threat of death to him or anyone he cared about. The thought of that terrified him, as did this whole operation they were about to undertake. Jake was afraid that he was getting in way over his head. This was bigger than anything he had every done for Jonah. This was more secretive than any of his operations in the five years he was gone. He had been a lackey then as he had been for Jonah. Now, he going to be part of something much bigger and much more dangerous. While it scared him, it also sent a thrill of excitement through him knowing that they were doing the right thing and had a chance to catch those responsible for the bombs. But if and when they did, what would they do with what they knew? Rob had mentioned that he might still have some contacts with the Eastern government and even some contacts abroad. But even so, who would listen to them? He decided he would have to leave that up to Rob for the time being. In the meantime, he had his own matters to deal with. First was talking Emily into helping him. Next was the whole matter of getting his life and act together.

(To be continued...)  



	17. Chapter 17

Full Circle, Chapter Seventeen

When Jake brought up their plan to Emily the next day, he was surprised how readily she agreed to it. He had stressed that this was going to be dangerous. But he saw the conspiratorial look in her eyes, one he had seen many times when they were younger and had been up to no good together. Jake sat with Emily sat at her kitchen table finishing up lunch. He knew he was going to have to be a bit more sociable with Emily if this was going to work. Emily had had her own misgivings about this military which had been slowly increasing the more she got to know Lt. Williams. They were making similar demands for supplies from other towns and weren't doing that good of a job stopping the violence and crime on the roads from what Emily had overheard at the military outpost. She had heard complaints about unfair promotions and backstabbing in the government and military. Troop morale was low and even the military was having problems with their own supplies of food and replacement parts as well as fuel, ammunition and weapons. 

Emily said. "You know, Mike seems to be the one coordinating this terrorist search with Cheyenne. As far as I can tell, Colonel Hoffman has had little to do with it thus far. I think Mike is trying to use this effort to move up in the ranks."

"So the two of you have talked about what they are really up to?" Jake asked.

"A little bit, he doesn't tell me a lot, but I told him I overheard something I shouldn't have and was curious and he told me much of what you had already told me. I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone else and would even help if he wanted. I told him I didn't want that kind of trouble in Jericho." Emily paused to look at him curiously. "Did something happen the other day? Mike has been real busy and tense lately."

"Yeah." Jake filled her in on the dead body they had found, as well as how the lieutenant had told them that both Hawkins and Sarah Mason had been terrorists. Emily raised her eye brow at that, not really believing it about Hawkins either. He told her a condensed version about who Hawkins really is and what they planned to do. She needed to know as much as the truth as possible if she was going to make this work. To his surprise, Emily took the news rather well. She also seemed interested in catching those really responsible for the bombs.

"From what Mike tells me, they keep the military on pretty tight leash, not telling them much information. It bothers him, but he's hoping if he gets promoted, he'll find out more information about how the rest of the government is doing." Emily said.

"Doesn't the colonel know more?" Jake asked.

Emily laughed. "Mike says the colonel is an old soldier and good at obeying others and that he's wasting away here in Jericho when he could easily get promoted if he tried. I dunno, I get a feeling that Colonel Hoffman isn't happy either with the government, but isn't telling anyone else that."

"Why do you think that?" 

Emily explained, "Well, when I was in command tent the other day helping Mike, Colonel Hoffman disciplined their quartermaster officer quite loudly for not telling him that Cheyenne had cut back on their supplies again. Everyone avoided him for a while after that. Even Mike was reluctant to go and talk to him, though he needed to. The colonel has a temper but rarely shows it."

Jake tried to imagine the usually calm Colonel Hoffman in a temper and failed. The officer seemed to be pretty easy-going most of the time, though he ran a tight-ship for his operation from what he observed. He was the stereotype of the good and loyal soldier. But if the colonel wasn't happy, perhaps they could also use that in their favor. He asked Emily, "So will you help us, help me on this?"

Emily looked him straight in the eyes. "I'll do this on one condition." 

"What's that?" he asked, a feeling of uncertainty passing through him. Emily could probably ask anything of him and he would do it. He owed her that much for their past friendship and relationship and out of guilt for how he had treated her in the past and for what had happened to Chris and not trying to stop it.

"You tell me what's going on with you and Heather."

"What? We're just friends." Jake said and tried to look convincing. He hadn't been spending much time with Emily lately, especially since Heather's interview. But then again, he didn't think he was spending that much time with Heather either, not as much as he'd like to. He found Heather intriguing and his thoughts frequently straying to think about her.

Emily gave him the look that said she knew he was lying. "I've known you too long, Jake Green. You seem to spent a lot of time at home, and don't tell me it's just to be with your mother. Someone said the two of you were holding hands while walking home. I just don't want to see Heather get hurt again."

"I have no intention of doing that." Jake replied, suddenly regretting how quickly gossip spread about this town. He had only been trying to be there for Heather during the difficult time of her interview. Emily probably still had no idea of what Heather had gone through. He wondered if Lt. Williams had heard and said anything, however. He hoped not, as he felt what had happened to Heather was private and personal. It was bad enough she had had to tell it in front of strangers for the interview. He didn't want the town rumor mill to get a hold of it. 

Emily gave him her worried face. "You said that last time and look what happened. She ran off to New Bern and nearly got killed."

"That wasn't my fault!" Jake admitted. Though he wondered if Heather would have gone if she didn't think she had to prove herself to him. But knowing the selfless Heather he had gotten to know even better recently, he knew that she had done it because it was needed. And the wind turbines had made the biggest difference in Jericho. The military said it would be months yet before they could restore power. Though in hindsight, he still regretted not going after Heather sooner. A few days had turned into months. Maybe then Heather wouldn't have gotten hurt by Constantino. 

"I've seen the way you get all dreamy eyed then clam up every time we talk about her." Emily said.

"I do not," Jake replied too quickly. Then the seconds passed when neither of them said anything and he knew that she was right. He didn't like talking about Heather. It made him feel and think things that he wasn't sure he wanted to think about. Jake suddenly got the feeling that this conversation was less about concern for Heather and more about something else, like Emily wanting more out of their relationship, perhaps a return to what they had before. She had been dropping little hints all along at him and he had seen the renewed interest in her eyes and in the casual touches when they were together. He hadn't given it much thought or attention yet, but suddenly it now started to make sense. Was Emily jealous of Heather?

After she stared at him for a long time, Emily finally spoke. "Uh huh. You either need to cut things off or go forward with something. Or maybe we just need to get back together again instead once we get to the bottom of this conspiracy plot of yours and I no longer have to be involved with Mike. I hate seeing you alone like this. Or maybe you two just need to have a relationship so you can get over her."

_But what if I don't want to get over her?_ Jake wondered to himself. He knew what Emily was referring to. Between their breakups in the past, he often flirted with other girls and she would tease him that he would be begging to get back together with her again before long. She had usually been right. Emily knew him better than most, the good and the bad and he felt safe with her, acceptance regardless of what he did. At least it was like that until Chris had been killed. She had accused him of being just like her father and that had hit him so hard in the gut that he had done a double take on his life and panicked. He didn't want to become like her father, always preying on others, taking what wasn't his, using people and operating one step ahead of the law. It was a lonely and hard life and he knew better. He had been raised to know right from wrong and had been heading down the wrong path for a long time. So, he had run away, vowing to go find himself out in the big wide world. And that hadn't worked out well either, but it had opened his eyes in many ways. It wasn't until he came back home and the bombs happened that he started to discover the man he could be. Not necessarily the role of town hero that had somehow come to him by default, but a leader like his father and grandfather had been, taking care of Jericho and those he cared about in whatever way possible. Someone to look up to and who made a difference. Someone to marry and have children with. Where that thought came from, he had no idea, but lately his thoughts had been straying in that direction.

"Nothing is going on right now," Jake finally replied. _But maybe I need to change that_, he told himself. "Heather's interview was difficult and I was there for her as a friend. Nothing more." 

It was true, and the steady gaze he gave Emily must have placated her, for now at least.

After Jake left Emily's, he took the long way back to City Hall, deep in thought. He'd felt so adrift in the past weeks. The town charter idea had sparked his interest and would give him something to work on, but it was going to be mostly busy work of reading, researching and planning. He had been helping out Eric and Gray at town hall, assisting the military with the searches and interviews, helping Bill and Jimmy with police work and helping the border patrol, but several other men with more military experience had been stepping up more to coordinate the patrol and offer better training. And things were likely to wind down with interviews and searches as the military realized that Hawkins was the one they were looking for and found few leads to go on. But it was all boring work and the only challenges were in trying to negotiate between two parties on the best way to settle a dispute. This mission with Hawkins filled him with excitement again as well as a desire to be doing something worthwhile. While he enjoyed helping Jericho and was hopeful about the town charter idea, he felt like his spinning his wheels lately, unsure of what to do. Now he had a clear sense of direction again. 

But what Rob said about family and loved ones also struck a chord with him. He felt like something was still missing in his life and had been for a long time, no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. Things his mother had said recently kept running through his head, things she had said due to worry and grief he knew, out of fear of being left alone now that his father was gone. If things ever did get back to normal again, he would need to figure out what he was going to do. Would he stay home or leave again? Perhaps, he could start that business he always dreamed of, maybe right here in Jericho. He wanted to rebuild the ranch again as well. Or maybe he could get a job in government helping rebuild Kansas and the rest of the country. Regardless, he didn't want to keep walking this long road alone. His heart was telling him that there was someone close he could share it with, someone who had caught his interest, stirred his heart and made him feel alive again, feel like fighting to do the right things in his life instead of always making mistakes. What Emily had said also echoed in his mind. He realized he wished there was more going on with Heather. Maybe it was time he changed that. But that also required him to take the first step, to try and fix things between them, assuming she was still interested as well. The way she kept avoiding him gave him doubts. He had made the mistake of not giving things a fair chance the first time. But now he wasn't sure he wanted to keep ignoring things and not give it one more try again, despite all that was going on. The worst that could happen would be if she said no and wasn't interested in a screw up like him. But his mother had been dropping little hints about Heather that maybe all hope wasn't lost. He got the hint, not that his mother ever subtly hinted at anything.

The next day, he and Emily spent time together, making plans and working up a plausible action plan on how to get her more involved with the military. She was already helping Lt. Williams with some of his paperwork. Emily and the lieutenant already had a start of a little romance. With Emily's charms, she might be able to wile her way up to more responsibilities, especially since Jake had noted how disorganized Ray Wilson's transcripts tended to be. Emily wasn't thrilled at having to do secretarial work, but the hint of danger and suspense in helping him and Hawkins was good motivation. She started pretending it was an acting job, something she had always wanted to do when they were growing up together. If she could find a way that Jake could help the military out as well, even better.

* * *

It took several days of Emily working her charms with Lt. Williams before she had any news to report. She had gotten more in favor with the lieutenant, but unfortunately, the ambitious officer's opinion of Jake was not very complimentary. The lieutenant was still angry about Jake not admitting that Hawkins was FBI. Emily did give him some news updates about what was going on down at the outpost. Apparently, she was nailing the role of naive blond and gaining the trust of other officers at the outpost, including Colonel Hoffman. Jake spent many of his lunch hours in the next week talking with Emily and trying to come up with a strategy that might get him in with the military. An idea finally occurred to him and Emily agreed it might work, especially because it would also help out Jericho as well, if he could could get the colonel to agree to it. She was worried that it could be dangerous for him, however. But Rob had warned him that none of this was going to be easy.

Jake finally arranged a meeting with the colonel to propose his idea. He was nervous, unsure at what direction this meeting would take. But Rob had had confidence in him and he had to start somewhere. He had walked with Emily out to the outpost, entering through their security checkpoints without any issues. He noticed that the military outpost had been slowly becoming more entrenched and set up in the past weeks, with more tents and more permanent looking equipment. It was beginning to remind him of some of the base camps he had seen in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Hello, Jake." Colonel Hoffman stood up to shake his hand as Jake entered his office in the command post tent. Jake noticed how neat and tidy the office still was. Even the papers and folders on the desk were neatly piled. There was one closed folder sitting in the middle of the desk. One difference he also noticed from the last time he had been here was heavy CRT computer monitor, keyboard, and mouse on the top of the desk and the hum of a running computer coming from the vicinity of underneath the desk. There was a computer printer on a nearby folding chair and cables that ran down across the wood floor that were partially covered with a rubber covering to keep them from being tripped over. They had finally gotten computers here at the outpost. Computers and probably a network, but still no phones, Jake noticed, but guessed that they probably used satellite and radio for communications. The colonel pointed at one of the folder chairs. "Have a seat. Ms. Sullivan said you were interested in speaking with me." 

"Yes, thank you." Jake replied, trying to get things off on a good foot. He sat down in one of the chairs. "I wanted to present an opportunity to you, one that I think will be mutually beneficial to both of us."

Colonel Hoffman gave him a steady look, but it was difficult to read his expression. "I'm listening."

Jake hesitated a second, gathering his nerve. His impression of the colonel had always been that he was a reasonable man, more so than Lt. Williams. So he began carefully. "I know you've been having problems with some of the organized crime and renegade gangs in the area. Tommy Pulaski, the Orange Crew, the Black Crows, Jonah Prowse and several other gangs that are still running free and harassing towns and farmers as well as making it difficult to keep the roads clear. I think I can help you take out some of these groups, if you're interested." 

"You'd like to enlist?" Colonel Hoffman asked, looking a bit surprised and doubtful at the same time.

Jake shook his head. He didn't find the thought of being a grunt in the military again all that appealing. "I think I'm a little bit old for that. Besides, I've already had some military training."

"I know. I've seen your record." Colonel Hoffman nodded at the folder on his desk.

Jake almost panicked for a minute, worried about how much the colonel may have been able to find out. But he locked his feelings down, staring the colonel straight in the eyes, a tip Rob had told him to help him seem more convincing. "Well, I'll confess, my record isn't stellar, but I try to do what's right, at least now I do."

The colonel pointed at the folder. "Says in there that you did boot camp for the Navy and had some training, before receiving a bad conduct discharge."

"I wasn't real good at following orders," Jake confessed. He didn't want to tell the full truth, of how he had nearly knocked out his command officer. That had given him a quick trip to the brig and knocked him out of the naval air training program. But he had been so angry when he had enlisted right after leaving home. The reality of being on his own, after having his dream of being a Navy pilot ruined, had given him a rude awakening. It was just one of his many screw ups.

Colonel Hoffman asked, "And you are now?"

"That was nearly five years ago. I've changed. The bombs and what followed made me realize that all that discipline is really needed sometimes." He knew the colonel was strict on discipline. Jake had been trying to instill that with the border patrol and their training and had a new appreciation for it now.

"What happened to our country has really changed a lot of people's perspective." The colonel agreed. "So how do you think you can help us with these groups? They have been giving us a lot of trouble."

Jake had given considerable thought to this, especially after all he had been hearing from Emily as well as the border patrol and other people who traveled out of town. He didn't like having to return to his past, but in this instance, his past could be used to his advantage. It still made him uncomfortable having to admit it however. "I used to work for Jonah Prowse years ago. I know how they operate. I even have some old contacts within the groups. I might be able to help bring them down, if not from the inside, but with knowing how they work, where they often hangout and hide. With enough backup support, including technology and swat teams, I think I can help you take them out for good."

He had heard from the border patrol and other residents that had friends and family outside of Jericho that the organized gangs were succeeding with hit-and-run techniques and kept moving out of the reach of the military patrols trying to take them out. The military moved too slow with their tanks and humvees. They could patrol the roads well, but Jake didn't think many of them had the experience and knowledge of how to deal with quick strike and retreat tactics that the organized groups used. The U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq had just started mastering the techniques for dealing with such tactics when Jake had quit his contracting work. His contracting companies had provided some training very similar to what the military was providing to soldiers. He wasn't sure how much training this military had for those strategies, but so far, it wasn't looking like they had, though he had heard that Colonel Hoffman had done at least one tour in Iraq. 

"You haven't exactly been helpful for us so far, Jake, why should I believe that you want to help us out now?" Colonel Hoffman asked, giving him a skeptical look.

Jake sighed. He had been prepared for this question. "I'll be honest, I've been distrustful of your military and government ever since you came here. We heard nothing from the government for a long time and then you show up out of the blue. You gotta admit, you weren't coming here to help us out when we needed you, you only came here looking for terrorists."

The colonel gave him a long searching look as if debating how to respond to that. But he gave a slight smile as he replied, "You must have talked to Heather Lisinski."

"She's a friend, yes. She thought it was odd that you weren't going to come here at first and then things changed. Then when you came here, you told us about the terrorists. So can you blame me for being suspicious of your motives?" 

Colonel Hoffman gave him a half-smile. "My orders were two fold, to stop the fighting and to find the terrorists. We haven't been able to put a stop to all the problems going on and the organized gangs are a big part of it. So why do you want to help us with them now if you don't trust us?"

Here was his moment. He had rehearsed this several times, making sure he sounded convincing. "I'm also tired of seeing those groups harassing people and causing problems for Jericho. If I can stop them, all the better. I'm also tired of spinning my wheels here. It's a nice place and all but boring as hell. I was just planning on visiting here for a day when the bombs here and I got stuck here. I'd like to prove that I can help you out and then get a job working for the government helping put our country back together again and move on to bigger and better things than being stuck here in Jericho again." Jake hoped he was convincing, even though he knew his heart wasn't entirely in it. The Jake that had come home before the bombs had gone off would have felt the same way, but he had changed in the last six months. He just had to let himself sink back into that mindset again.

The colonel picked up the folder from the table and opened it, scanning it. Jake wondered what details were in there. "I see here that you're a pilot?"

"1600 hours flight time, some of it in the Middle East, South America, Africa."

"Any combat flight training?" Colonel Hoffman asked.

"Simulators, a few dangerous flights abroad, corkscrew landings at BIAP if that counts." Jake added to a slight laugh, remembering the training that had gone into learning how to make that difficult landing. It had been closer to the trick-flying his grandfather had taught him with the crop dusters than he anything had learned at Embry.

The colonel set down the folder, leaving it closed on his desk in front of him as he stared at Jake for a long moment. "Well, we could use someone helping us with the organized crime gangs, truth be told. We're not allowed to use our troops for much reconnaissance work and that is probably what is needed to take out some of these groups. We've been having trouble dealing with some of the local communities and residents and that is taking up a good majority of our resources." 

Jake had heard that the military had New Bern in lock down and wondered if other towns were the same way. He couldn't imagine the amount of effort that would require. The military had seemed relieved that Jericho appeared to be rather under control, despite Lt. Williams threats to come in and take it over.

The colonel continued. "We can't just have our military forces walk in and put a stop to every problem. We'd spend all our time and resources just in maintaining the peace. And some of the gangs are well armed due to raiding old military bases and stealth attacks on some of our lesser reinforced patrols. We can't afford the fire power and losses having to fight them every time we need to shut them down. Then they seem to run and just regroup elsewhere."

Jake was pretty familiar with that scenario. That was how Jonah worked, though he knew he had been holed up in the same complex outside of Jericho for quite a long time now with the mortars and who knows what other military equipment he had stolen or acquired. But he knew that the other groups had to set up somewhere, had to have somewhere to store their goods and vehicles as well as eat and sleep.

"If you can figure out a way to bring them down from the inside with less losses, that would be better." Colonel Hoffman continued. "I understand you know Jonah Prowse pretty well?"

"I do, I used to work for him," Jake replied. It had been years but Jonah had become like a surrogate father to him when his own father treated him poorly. His opinion had dramatically changed after what had happened with Chris as well as how Jonah had treated Jericho since the bombs went off.

The colonel asked, "Any reservations about bringing him down?"

"None whatsoever. He's been a thorn in this town's side for a long time and he screwed us over right before the battle with New Bern." Jake spoke with real conviction on that. He was still angry with Jonah for taking the mortars and other weapons and bailing on them before the battle with New Bern, not to mention how he had brutally killed all those men from New Bern without giving them a chance to take prisoners. He wasn't sure how well Emily would take the news if he was going to have to take Jonah out. He had given her a hint of what he had planned to suggest to Colonel Hoffman but not all of it for this exact reason, especially if the colonel refused him. He might want to leave Jonah alone for a while until he could take out some of the other groups, however. "He's got a pretty big operation so it might take some time to bring him in. But I could start with some of the other groups."

Colonel Hoffman gave him a long searching look as he leaned back in his chair. "I tell you what, you help us bring in Jonah Prowse and some of these other rogue gangs down and you'll definitely have a job working for us. They've already heard some about all your group here has done managing Jericho up in the administration. Help us with this and you'll definitely make a name for yourself. Interested?"

"Definitely," Jake answered honestly, suddenly relieved that the colonel was going to go along with this. "But I will need backup support when the time comes, a bit of firepower. Technology support would be useful too if you can get it. Satellite, video, night vision and other things." 

The colonel nodded. "Technology we have. The rest can probably be arranged on a limited basis. We do have several Special Force squads but they are pretty busy with special military ops most of the time. So whenever you need them, it will have to be scheduled and well coordinated."

"I understand," Jake replied. He knew he could handle some of it on his own, but Rob could probably also offer him some suggestions. Excitement swelled within him at the thought of actually having a way to not only help Jericho, but to also start doing what Rob had requested of him. 

"All right," The colonel reached out a hand from across the desk. "Looks like we've got ourselves a deal. I"ll be interested in seeing what you can do, especially after all the stories I've heard about you since we got here."

Jake stood up and shook the man's hand. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear."

"Taking out escaped convicts? Almost blowing up a bridge to keep the rogue Ravenwood band out? Uncovering the fake Marines?" The colonel raised an eyebrow at him.

Jake gave him a half smile but didn't reply. He didn't feel like he had done anything heroic in the past months despite everyone saying that he had.

"Let's go see Lieutenant Robbins, he's been coordinating the efforts for dealing with the gangs." Colonel Hoffman gestured toward the door and started heading that way himself. Then the colonel stopped as if something just occurred to him as they approached the door to leave. "And Jake, one more question. Why haven't you been more suspicious about Robert Hawkins? Especially after everything we told you about him?"

That question caught Jake off-guard. He looked at the colonel for a long moment debating how to answer. He decided to go on his hunch that the colonel was a decent man. "I just think there's more to Robert Hawkins than any of us know. He just didn't seem the type to be involved in terrorism, as much as you claim he was a bad guy. But let me ask you a question, did you actually look up Robert Hawkins in the government computer system yourself or did someone else?"

"No, we had someone doing all the computer work back in Cheyenne. They just got our computer network connectivity set up two days ago," the colonel answered, nodding at his computer. "Though we have limited access. We mostly use them for record keeping, email and status reports."

"Do me a favor and look to see if Robert Hawkins shows up in the CIA database."

Colonel Hoffman looked at him strangely. "CIA? I'm not sure I have access to that information yet. But why would he be in there?"

"A CIA badge is a little more difficult to forge." Jake heard voices outside the door.

"Do you know where Hawkins might be? Be honest with me, Jake." The colonel asked, keeping his voice down so that they wouldn't be overheard.

"I don't, but I might have some ideas on where to look for him but haven't had the resources or time to check it out," Jake replied, knowing he was being honest on that. He knew that he would have to keep Colonel Hoffman's trust if any of this was going to work. Small tidbits of information, make it look like you're trying to help, Rob had advised him. "I'll check out some of the hunting cabins and other remote houses in the area where someone might hold up when I get the time."

"I'd appreciate that. It would help get Cheyenne off my back if we can give them something concrete to go on," the colonel replied.

"I'll see what I can do," Jake offered, though he wondered if the military would just up and leave if they ever did find Hawkins or gave up looking for him.

A short time later, Jake left the outpost at a steady pace walking back toward town. He had nodded and smiled to Emily on his way out, seeing her working with Lt. Williams in an office in the command post tent. He would fill her in later on what happened. He had met with Lt. Robbins and worked out some initial plans to start investigating the organized gangs. He would start with some reconnaissance on horseback to find if some of them were still using some of the old outposts that Jonah used to use for trafficking goods. He knew some of the old farmhouses where a few of them could be hiding out. Some of his border patrol also had some contacts with other towns that he could use. It would take some time but he felt sure that he could start dismantling some of these groups. Jonah Prowse, on the other hand, was going to be tough.

He would have to fill Eric in on some of what was going on, he realized. They still needed his help at City Hall, but he felt sure Eric and Gray would agree that his new role working with the military would be worth it if he could put a stop to the crime around Jericho. That and if they got the town charter to get them some extra help. Gray had already asked for more volunteers to help with their work at City Hall and had gotten a few people to help out finally.

The first part of his plan was underway and looking positive so far. Now to work on his second objective. It was a warm, sunny day after several days of rain. The weather was slowly warming up as spring came to Kansas. It gave him an idea, something based on a tidbit of information he had gained after his visit to the elementary school yesterday. Jake started walking toward the Richmond farm. 

(To be continued...)  



	18. Chapter 18

_Okay, here's the chapter that some of you have been patiently waiting for... put your hats on and hold on. Feedback greatly appreciated on this one, it is a very pivotal chapter and was hard to write :)_

Full Circle, Chapter Eighteen

_One week later_

"Hey guys," a familiar voice called from outside the loading dock.

"Hey Jake!" and a few other calls of greeting went out as her team of workers glanced up from their work momentarily.

Heather Lisinski was startled out of a daydream concerning the owner of that voice. She glanced up from the pile of debris she had been sorting through and saw Jake's familiar figure in the open garage doorway. Assuming he was here to talk to one of the men that also worked on the border patrol, she went back to her work.

Heather and a team of ten men had just started the monumental task of trying to clean up the old aircraft parts plant in hopes of turning it into a manufacturing facility for wind turbines. It had taken her over a week to just convince Mayor Anderson and his town committee that they should try and convert the old plant into something useful. Gray Anderson hadn't been sure they had the right to take over the plant, though the owner of the deed had listed their business address as someplace in Denver. Jake had thrown his support behind their effort and the mayor had finally agreed to appropriate the place by use of eminent domain, giving it to her and Ted to use. The old place had been closed for over twenty years and no one knew what shape it was in or if it could even be made operational again. She and Ted had checked it out and found old processing lines and a hot coal furnace that might be capable of melting and shaping metal. It had possibilities. The initial plan was to clean it out and recover whatever scraps they might be able to use, then work on setting it up for making more wind turbines and possibly other equipment to help Jericho stand on its own. In three days, the crew of volunteers they had put together had barely made it beyond the loading docks. The place had been used for storage of old broken machinery and scrap metal and they had to sort through everything in case of finding something they might be able to use. Three men kept bringing back carts of more and more materials from inside the plant to their crew at the loading dock. The four truck doors were wide open letting in as much as light as possible since the plant was too far on the border of town to receive reliable power from the existing wind turbines.

Lost in thought, she had not noticed that Jake had climbed over the piles of debris and stopped in front of her, his shadow blocking her light.

"Heather," Jake greeted her.

"Hey. Here to help?" she asked, suddenly noticing she was a mess with soot and streaks of dirt all over the coveralls she wore. Like the rest of the crew, she also wore heavy duty gloves to protect her hands.

"Not today. I have something else planned." He smiled mysteriously at her then turned around to speak at the men working. "Can you guys get by if borrow Heather today?"

There were a couple chuckles, a few comments said too soft for her to hear, but then she heard one of the men speak up, "We'll be fine. Ted should be in soon to keep us out of trouble."

"Jake-" she protested. They had too much work to do. She and Ted were leading this effort, though she had done most of the organizing and planning thus far while Ted helped with the cleaning, lifting and equipment assessment. She was surprised that she hadn't had much difficulty working with the volunteers that had offered to help out, even though they were all men. She had had more issues with the plant workers in New Bern. Many in Jericho still looked at her as some sort of hero for bringing power back to Jericho and for bringing the military to stop the war with New Bern.

"I need you to come with me," Jake interrupted her, holding a hand out to her.

"Is there something wrong?" Heather asked suddenly worried that someone was hurt or perhaps one of the working wind turbines was malfunctioning. They had already called on her several times to help fix and tune the ones Jericho had. Or maybe they needed her to answer more questions again for the military.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just going to borrow you for a bit." When she still hadn't moved, he added. "Please?"

She couldn't read anything by his expression but he had the look of being up to something. Reluctantly, she nodded. Taking off a glove, she took his hand and he helped her to her feet. His hand was strong and warm as he held hers. Trying to ignore how good his touch felt, she allowed him to escort her through the piles of debris back toward the door. Giving a few last minute instructions to the guys, she took off her coveralls and left them and her gloves by the door. She brushed off her old pair of jeans and top and grabbed her old red sweater. When Jake put his hand in the small of her back to help guide outside, she heard a few cat calls and whistles behind them making her blush.

Outside, she discovered that Jake had driven his car over, even though the plant was only about a half mile from town. She knew Jake was glad to have his car back after having left it behind New Bern. Ted had driven it to Jericho when he came from New Bern. She wondered why Jake was using up gas just to come see her, however.

"Are you sure everything is okay?" Heather asked again, confused.

"Fine, get in." Jake held the passenger car door open for her. There was a small bouquet of fresh spring flowers sitting on the seat.

"Jake?" She peered up at him.

He just smiled at her. Heather leaned down and picked up the flowers, inhaling their sweet smell.

"Happy birthday." Jake leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, his hand gently caressing her arm. His fingers were warm against her bare skin, but she felt that he was a bit tense as he stood near her. Or was that nervousness?

Her jaw dropped in astonishment. "But how did-"

"Get in," he ordered again, looking over at the loading dock where two of the men were watching them.

She slid into the car and Jake closed the door behind her and walked around the car to climb into the driver's seat.

Heather felt an uncomfortable silence fall between them as Jake started the car and drove away from the old plant. Since her interview last week, she hadn't seen a lot of Jake lately. Her nightmares for the most part had subsided, though she was still slightly embarrassed from having woken Jake up so many times as well as the fact that he now knew what had happened to her in New Bern. She still felt awkward around him, no matter how hard she tried to ignore how she still felt about him. She still saw Jake on occasion at home, but both of them seemed to be too busy to do much more then say hello and good bye. They would see each other over dinner, in the town hall meetings and in the brief meetings afterward where Eric and Jake were working on their town charter idea and wanted her input. But otherwise, she was usually out working from dawn until it grew dark. She would sometimes catch him looking at her over the dinner table, but then again, she would often do the same to him. Being in the house after Johnston Green's death still made her uncomfortable, despite her attempts at being helpful. After dinner, she would help Gail with the dishes, then read a book in her room or the living room or watch a movie with Gail. Sometimes Jake joined them, though he occasionally went to Baileys or Emily's, from what gossip she heard, especially lately. She had heard he was now busy helping the military as well during the days. Thus, she was surprised that Jake had come here out of the blue like this just to see her. 

Looking around them as Jake drove down the road, she noticed that they were heading out of town. "So, don't tell me you set up some big surprise party somewhere." 

"No, but I figured it would be nice to have a day off for your birthday and do something special instead." Jake drove his car casually, one wrist draped over the top of the steering wheel, the other arm leaning out of the open car window. It was a warm day today but he was wearing his gray hoodie sweatshirt over a t shirt. He looked sexy and handsome, as he usually did. She noticed that he made occasional glances at her as he drove.

"So how did you find out it was my birthday?" Heather was pretty sure no one knew, not even Emily. Ted might have remembered but he had always been terrible with dates. It was the fourth of April and a perfect spring day. She hadn't seen Jake or his mom this morning, but then she had left the house early today, trying to get a head start on the work at the plant since it didn't have power for lights and they needed to use all the daylight that they could. She had almost forgotten what day it was too until she had seen it on Gail's calendar this morning. Her birthdays had never been big events in her life.

Jake gave her a guilty look. "Mrs. Wyatt let me see your employee file." 

"That's personal information. You had no right-" A flash of anger shot through her. Mrs. Wyatt was the principal of the elementary school where Heather had been teaching for the last three years.

"You've been living in my house for over a month. Can't have a stranger living under my roof." Jake gave her such a puppy dog look she found it hard to be mad at him. He added with an amused smile, "It was a rather interesting read."

Heather tried to remember what personal information was in there. It seemed like ages since she filled out her application and employee forms. It had details such as where she went to college, her degree, maybe a few job references; things she assumed were rather boring. She couldn't imagine what Jake found interesting about it. But she still didn't like someone seeing her private information. 

"But don't worry," Jake added. "I won't tell anyone that you're 27. You don't look a day over 25."

Heather punched him softly in the arm and he gave a mock gesture of pain.

"The flowers are lovely, thank you." The bouquet was full of spring daisies, violets, and buttercups, flowers that started blooming in the early spring She held them lightly in her lap wondering when he would have had time to pick them.

"You're welcome. Don Barnes saw me out picking them, though. Told him they were for a special lady." Jake winked at her.

_He's flirting with me!_ That made Heather blush, suddenly aware that Jake was showing an interest in her and wasn't sure what to think. Their relationship had been friendly, but nothing bordering on romantic that she had been able to tell. Since she confronted him before their trip to Black Jack, she decided to let things go and leave it up to him to make the next move, if he was even interested after all her time away. Thus, since her return, she had kept her distance, emotionally and physically, trying not to get her hopes up, even when Eric had told her that Jake had been very upset when he thought she was dead. Jake's greeting when she had returned to Jericho had been warm, but more brotherly than romantic, even after insisting that she stay at his house when hers had been donated to refugees. She had told herself that he was still in shock from all that happened and had made herself scarce in the Green house to give the family time to grieve in private. She helped out where she could, helping prepare Gail's cold frames for planting and with the dishes and cleaning. And then last week, Jake had been there for her when she was interviewed and when she had her nightmares. It had seemed completely platonic between them as far as she could tell. Their interaction had been as friends though she had still felt the draw between the two of them. Once her interview was over, she had gone back to avoiding him, wary of her own feelings toward Jake still, but also afraid of what he might think of her after what she had told him and the military about what had happened in New Bern.

She had been successful in preventing herself from becoming hopeful about Jake and silently vowed to not let today be any different. Occasionally, she and Jake would pass in a hallway and she was far too aware that he was sleeping in the bedroom next to hers. When they caught each other's eyes over the dinner table, she could feel the same old attraction between them, but now believed that that was all it was, especially since Jake seemed to be spending a good deal of time with Emily lately. A thought occurred to her.

"You didn't tell anyone else that..." Heather let her question trail off. Maybe he had set up something with Emily. She wasn't sure she would enjoy that, especially with the way Emily had hinted that she and Jake were working on getting back together. How Emily could get over a two year engagement with Roger so quickly, she didn't know but it made her begin to question their friendship, especially since Emily had known how she felt about Jake. She didn't understand Emily's behavior or how quickly her friend had given up on Roger. Maybe it was just because Heather believed in commitment and true love, a hopeless romantic until the end or until she ended up an old spinster, she figured. 

"Just my mom. She wanted to make you a cake, but settled for packing a picnic lunch instead." Jake nodded to the back seat where Heather saw a blanket and Jake's duffel bag.

She was watching where they were going and recognized the road where Jake turned. It was the lane that led to the Green's ranch outside of town. She had come with Eric and Gail several times to help take of the horses. 

Jake parked the car outside the barn and turned to her. "Know how to ride?"

* * *

An hour later, Heather and Jake had been riding their horses up an old trail that wound its way up a steep hill. There were fir trees and other scrub trees that gave evidence to the elevation and the fact that they were in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It had been a long time since she had been in a saddle, but riding had come back to her. She was pretty sure she'd be sore tomorrow, however. Jake, she decided, looked great on a horse. He had taken off his hoodie jacket leaving his old green t shirt on, which hung attractively across the muscles of his back. He had an ease about him when riding that showed he was an experienced rider. It had turned out to be a pretty warm day, the air full of the smell of spring and sunshine. She hadn't even needed her sweater, though it was tied to the back of her saddle.

They had made small talk along the ride. Jake pointed out various landmarks and told stories from growing up on his grandfather's ranch. In return, she had told him about her childhood on her grandparents' farm where she learned to ride and swim and helped her grandmother garden and helping her grandfather with his small business of fixing tractors and small appliances for his neighbors. It was the most the two of them had ever talked and she was discovering she enjoyed talking with Jake, feeling an ease with his company that she hadn't known with anyone else before. She figured she was boring him, but he kept asking her questions and giving her his adorable lopsided smile when he occasionally glanced at her from the back of his horse.

A few minutes later, Jake dismounted from his horse and led it over to a nearby tree to tie up its reins. He came over and helped her down off her own horse, his hands gently running up her sides to help her as she dismounted. She tried to hide the shudder that went through her at his touch as a loss of balance. Jake must not have noticed as he took the reins of her horse and tied it up next to his.

Jake untied the blanket and duffel bag from his saddle and started carrying them, pointing out a small path in front of them and letting her lead the way. A short walk later, they passed through a line of trees. Opening wide in front of them was a grass covered expanse of land that gently sloped off down the hill they had just climbed. The view took her breath away. From where they stood, the horizon disappeared into the distance with gently rolling hills that were slowly returning to the green thanks to the spring rains. As Heather looked out over the overlook, she could see a few windmills, barns, silos and blocks of land that were farms and a hazy hint of the Jericho skyline. The sky was big and blue with the occasional cotton-like cloud. The sun overhead was bright and warm, but a light breeze brushed cool air over where they stood. It was a beautiful location and she could see why Jake had chosen it for a picnic.

"We used to come up here all the time when I was a kid." Jake told her as he led her to a level spread of grass where he laid out the blanket. "Dad wanted to build a cabin up here for when he retired."

"With that view, I can see why." Heather sat down with Jake on the blanket and watched as he unpacked his bag. He pulled out water bottles, plastic dishes and cutlery, linen napkins, and a Tupperware casserole dish.

"Spinach quiche." Jake informed her with an apologetic glance, opening the dish. "What I wouldn't give for fried chicken right now."

She hadn't realized she was hungry until he pulled out the food, though she was getting pretty tired of eggs. Meat was still in limited supply, so they were getting most of their protein from eggs and beans. Several of the farms had stepped up their breeding programs for poultry and livestock with hopes of being able to provide more meat to Jericho but it took time. They did have some vegetables now, however, especially from early planting in greenhouses and the cold frames and hot beds they learned to make in the town workshops.

"But I do have potato salad." Jake pulled another container from his bag. "Not sure how well that goes with quiche."

Heather laughed. She touched his hand, feeling his warmth and their eyes met in a long silent look. This was the nicest thing anyone had done for her in a real long time. "It's perfect. This was really sweet of you, Jake. Thank you." 

"Thank my mom, she did all the cooking, though she made me peel the potatoes and help with the dishes."

The next several minutes were spent eating and making small talk about Jericho and how things were changing now that the residents were realizing that the federal government wasn't necessarily going to save them. In last weeks town hall meeting, the mayor had told them that the government was requesting food, salt and other supplies from Jericho and that had not gone over well, especially since they were struggling to have enough food as it was. Both Heather and Jake had argued in the town hall meetings that everyone needed to pitch in to help the farms and to figure out ways to become more self-sufficient and organize work units, but it was a long and tiring process. Jake and Eric had been working on their town charter with rules dealing with things such as cooperative farming and a bartering system to exchange food for services, but it was going to be difficult to get people to agree to it, especially when people kept thinking that life was going to return to normal again soon. 

"I saved the best for last," Jake said after they finished their food, reaching into his bag. He pulled out another Tupperware container and opened it revealing a peach cobbler.

"Peaches? Where in the world did you-" Heather felt like a little girl on Christmas morning. She hadn't had fruit in months. As someone who used to eat fruit all the time, it had been hard not having any throughout the long winter months.

"Stanley still had a canned jar left in his basement." Jake stared at her smiling, obviously appreciating her reaction.

"You must have been planning this for-"

"About a week." Jake gave her that big glowing smile of his. It was good to see him enjoying himself. 

They ate every last bit of the peach cobbler. Jake was amused when she licked her fingers clean before wiping them clean with a wet napkin.

Afterward, they both laid back on the blanket next to each other staring up at the clouds, trying to decide what shapes they most resembled. Jake's choices were often planes and vehicles while she thought that most of them looked like bunny rabbits or cartoon characters. She tried to ignore how close his lean frame was next to her. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but resisted the urge. She did notice, however, that Jake still seemed to be a bit tense and she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was just all the stress he had been under lately, with trying to run Jericho and help the military. Weekends off no longer existed since they had so much work to do. They both probably needed a day off now and then.

"So, how does someone who went to Case Western Reserve end up becoming a schoolteacher?" Jake asked after a few minutes of silence.

So there it was. She wondered if he would bring up something from her personnel file. Heather sighed, old memories stirring inside her.

"See that cloud? It looks like a space shuttle." Heather pointed to an oddly shaped cloud.

"Yeah, it sorta does." Jake had folded his arms above his head, using them as a pillow.

"I used to love walking outside during the fall and winter and gazing up at the stars wondering what it was like up there. I wanted to become an astronaut. My dad thought I was nuts until I got a full scholarship to Case Western Reserve." It had been hard on her father when she left home to go so far away. But it had been her dream. And it had been difficult, being one of a handful of females in a male dominated aeronautical engineering field, but she had worked hard and gotten good grades, for as long as she had been there at least.

"But, you ended up at Kansas State. You don't seem the type that would have partied their way out of school," Jake teased.

"Hah, far from it." But then she grew serious, jolted by the pain of what had happened and having to leave her career plans behind. Heather sat up and gazed off into the distance, letting the memories wash over her. "At the beginning of my junior year, my dad had a stroke. I had to come home to take care of him."

"There wasn't any other family to help you out?" Jake asked. He turned on his side to watch her.

"Mom died when I was 14. My older brother fought with my dad right after that and left home. My grandparents both died a few years later. I'm all that my dad had."

"I'm sorry, Heather, I didn't know. You've never mentioned family much before. Is your dad still in New Bern?"

"No, he died right before I came to Jericho to teach. I took care of him while I went to Kansas State part-time to get my teaching degree. He never did quite get over my mom dying and mostly lost the will to live after the stroke." But she had gotten to visit her parents and grandparents graves while she was in New Bern, which had brought her a small measure of comfort while she was there.

Jake asked. "What about your brother? Ever heard from him?"

"He sent a letter when my dad died saying that he was in the Navy and stationed out of Norfolk on a submarine. Haven't heard from him since." Her brother and father had fought bitterly before he left. It reminded her of how Jake had been gone for five years. But especially now, with no communications with the outside world, she had no idea if her brother was even still alive or even where to look for him. Her brother was the only family she had left.

"Wow and I thought my family was messed up," Jake said. He glanced apologetically at her as he sat up, then joined her in gazing off into the distance, his forearms on his knees. "Sorry that didn't come out right."

"It's okay, it's been a long time for me."

"No aunts or uncles? Or any other family?" Jake inquired and she shook her head. 

Her dad had been an only child and she hadn't known any of her mother's family other than some still lived in Ohio. She had had to sell her grandparents' farm when her father fell ill, needing the money to pay for his care. Her ties to any family or land were long gone, which was why she had come to love Jericho so much. It had become her new home and a new start on life.

"How do you stay so upbeat and positive after all that?" He gave her a curious look. "It had to have been tough, especially being on your own."

"My grandfather used to have a motto. If you wake up in the morning with your feet on the top side of the grass, make it a good day worth living for." Heather replied. And it was true. Her background gave her strength. She had been a bit of an outcast growing up due to her father's vocation as well as being a bit of a book worm and geek. It bothered her more when she was younger, but that faded as she grew older and made a few good friends like Ted and a few friends from college. She didn't mind being solo as long as she had something to do or people to help. Teaching children had done that for her. And now, she enjoyed helping Jericho with her limited engineering background. The turbines had turned out better than she expected. She was proud of the work she and Ted were doing. She was confident they would be making more turbines here soon, once they got the old plant ready. Though lately, she knew she had been immersing herself too much in her work, trying to forget what had happened in New Bern. She hadn't quite had the time to sit back and collect her thoughts again. 

"Sounds like your grandfather could have given mine a run for the money on quotes." Jake said. "Does it get any easier? After losing a parent?"

She knew what he was asking. His father had died just over a month ago. The whole town felt the loss of Johnston Green and he knew Gail and her sons were still struggling with their grief. She saw it in Jake's expression at times, like when he looked at his father's empty chair at dinner, or when Gail asked him to fix something in the house.

"The first year is rough." Heather told him. "You keep thinking about what you should have done differently, things you regret having said, of all the bad things that happened and you did and wishing you could take them back if only for one more day with them. But the good memories are there too, and if you keep clinging to those, eventually it gets better as time passes."

"My mom's been taking it real hard."

Heather nodded. Her own father had taken the death of her mother really hard. Her parents had had a long and strong relationship, much like Jake's parents. She always dreamed of having a relationship like that one day. "I've been trying to help her out and talk to her. But you can't rush things. Everyone deals with it at their own pace and in their own way. Having friends and family there helps, as well as the church if you are into that sort of thing."

Jake gave her an amused grin. "Are you? I heard a rumor that your father was a minister."

"He was. Yeah, preacher's kid, that's me." Heather laughed. Though she remembered how sinister it had seemed when Constantino had said she was a minister's daughter. She hadn't told anyone about that part. She hastily brushed that memory aside.

"That explains a lot."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Jake had a goofy smile on his face and she wasn't sure she wanted to follow up on where this was going.

"That's also helped me get through all the rough times. You should try it sometime." She usually went to church on Sundays and had gone to church after the interviews last week and it had helped her feel better afterward. She knew that Gail Green had been at the church several times too, talking and praying with Reverend Thomas and with some of her friends. But it was time for a change in subject before she weirded him out. "So, now you know my sordid and mysterious past, what about yours?"

"What about me? You should probably know most of it by now. If not, just about any town member will fill you in." Jake said with a nervous laugh.

"That's not what I'm talking about." She was pretty sure he knew what she was asking about. It was the town's biggest mystery. Where had Jake Green disappeared to for five years?

Jake sighed and looked down, seeming fascinated by the pattern of the blanket they were sitting on as he traced it with his fingers. "What have you heard?"

"Let's see. The town rumor mill says you were in the military or playing baseball, then on the school bus, you mentioned military school. Emily said you tried to sell her on some story about the Navy. I also heard you went to flight school and have a pilot's license. But no one, not even Stanley or your mom, knows where you disappeared to for five years." The gossip in Jericho ran rampant, but no one had ever been able to crack this mystery yet.

"And what do you think?" Jake acted coy but glanced up to watch her carefully.

"I don't know Jake, but it must have been bad if you don't want to talk about it." She looked him square in the eyes but Jake's expression was still closed. She had suspected for a long time, once she had gotten over her initial crush, that Jake wasn't the knight in shining armor of perfection. And she could see his short comings, his self-doubt, how quickly he could lose his temper, his lack of focus, and his occasional unwillingness to compromise or listen to other's opinions at times. He also tended to jump into things head first without thinking things through. "Come on, I told you things that I have never told anyone."

"Even Ted?" Jake asked.

"Ted knows some of it. But no changing the subject, this is your turn. This Is Your Life, Jake Green." She teased him. Maybe she could get him talking a little bit about it at least. "Where were you before you came back home?" 

"I took a train from Albuquerque." Jake sighed. And he surprised her by beginning to talk at last. For the next several minutes, Jake told her of the last couple days he had had before returning to Jericho the day of the bombs. Heather listened quietly to the story he told about not being able to find a job, his encounter with the FBI and the death of his friend in San Diego. She was surprised when he mentioned Ravenwood, the mercenary company that had tried to attack Jericho and had wreaked havoc in New Bern. He glossed over the years he spent doing contract work abroad and she sensed there was more to it, but didn't pry. As she watched the emotions on Jake as he told his story, it sounded like he had done things he regretted and had still not dealt with his past very well yet. With all that was going on in Jericho the past months, it wasn't surprising, but Heather felt touched that he was sharing this with her now.

"And you haven't told anyone else about this?" she asked quietly, watching him as he stared off into the distance. She could see that all of this still weighed him down.

"I saw and did things I'm not proud of. " Jake shook his head. He hadn't looked at her the entire time he told the story, but she could see the deep pain on his face. He grabbed her wrist lightly and made her look at him. "And I'd rather anyone not ever know. Especially not my mom."

Heather nodded, seeing how difficult this was for Jake to even share if with her. Emily had said he had also worked for her father driving truck but also involved in questionable activities as well. Jake had mentioned that he had often flown cargo planes and driven trucks with goods that he was never entirely sure were for the good or the bad guys. "You worked doing similar work running goods before?"

Jake let her arm go and looked out into the horizon again. "I did, before I caught on that these companies were not always playing above the board. I kept trying to get out, kept telling myself just one more job and then I'd quit. But I kept doing it, kept trying to save up enough money to start my business, thinking I could just ignore the bad things I saw happening."

"It's hard to break free out of a cycle like that sometimes. Then out of the blue, reality gets in the way and changes everything." Heather admitted, laying a comforting hand on his arm. And the past six months were definite proof of that. Life had changed dramatically. "Look Jake, I can only imagine that you saw things out there that were horrible. Maybe you even did some bad things. But if you keep it bottled up inside you, it will eat at you and tear you apart slowly."

"There's been no one I felt safe talking to. Everyone here knows me too well, knows what a screw up I am."

"But you aren't now." She softly stroked his arm, feeling the warm smoothness of his skin beneath her touch. She felt a shudder go through him. She had seen how hard he had been working trying to help and protect Jericho. It worried her that he was trying too hard, to pay for a past he couldn't change.

"Oh, I still can be. Maybe then my father wouldn't have died-"

"Jake, you did the right thing trying to protect Jericho. You know what they were planning on doing, not to mention the slavery Constantino was involved in."

"I know. But we were naive and unprepared. Even with the best tactics from my Dad, we weren't likely to win." He sighed heavily, eyes closed. "Maybe then so many wouldn't have died. I miss him. He always knew what to do."

"I know." Her own father had been at great at advice and counseling others. It had been hard for her when he was no longer around to keep her focused. She had had her own awakening not long after her father's stroke that she was really on her own and had to figure things out on her own. She wondered if Jake had had his own wake up call. "So what happened to you while you were away that made you change? That made you wake up and question what you were doing? Was it just the bombs and coming home?"

"That was part of it, but something else happened." Jake was quiet for a long moment and she wasn't sure he was going to continue. He began speaking at last, slowly, his voice so low it was hard to hear him. "There was an incident when I was in Iraq. The caravan I was traveling in got attacked. We were transporting weapons and supplies to another military base. We were running late due to the bomb checks on the road. It was at dusk and getting dark. Our military escort had been mostly destroyed in an ambush and were going house to house trying to find those that had attacked us and were still firing at us. We had guns to protect ourselves with. The guys with me were nervous and angry and threatening to just shoot everything, though I knew we were in a residential area with families. Then a sniper took out the guy next to me. His name was Charlie and he was from South Carolina. He had a girlfriend and a little girl waiting for him at home. Charlie used to play the music cd's his girlfriend made for him on all our trips until we were all sick and tired of them. I don't know what got into me, I just went ballistic when he died right in front of me. The guys around me started shooting at anything that moved. And so did I, seeing snipers everywhere."

Heather listened carefully, holding her breath, floored by the depth of Jake's pain as he spoke, his voice hoarse with emotion. He looked up at the sky above, lost in memories but then he continued.

"A shadow moved in front of me, crying and talking in Arabic but we didn't know what he was saying. He looked like he was reaching for something in his clothes and I shot. They uncovered his face under an abaya. It turned out to be a little girl. I had shot a little girl! And the men I had been working with for the past months just laughed. They laughed and I couldn't believe it!" Jake sighed, barely holding back sobs. "I don't know, something in me just snapped. I saw everything I was doing and how wrong it was. I knew we were carrying rifles and explosives and one of the guys said they had tipped off the locals that this convoy was coming through on orders from the company. They had let us get attacked and gotten the military with us killed on purpose. Fortunately, the military had had a backup escort coming up behind us and stopped our convoy before the local contact could take the equipment. They attributed the girl's death and other deaths there to friendly fire. When I got back to our military encampment where we stayed, I tried to tell the commanding army officer what had happened but he didn't believe me. I was a grunt, a civilian contractor from a questionable company and didn't know better, and it had been embarrassing that they had lost so many men in the convoy. I had cuts and blood all over me, so they sent me to the medical tent. I found out later that parts of that company was involved in all kinds of questionable operations, as was Ravenwood and other companies. I had just been too blind and naive to not see it."

"Jake, you're not like those men. You saw what you did was wrong. You tried to tell the military but you couldn't do any more if they wouldn't listen."

"I don't know, I still think I could have done more. I shouldn't have shot, maybe I should have waited. I still see her face sometimes, a young girl, innocent, her whole life in front of her." Jake closed his eyes.

"And what would have happened if it had been a guy with a gun or a grenade? You and the others would have been dead, too. You didn't know. War is like that. Mistakes will happen, even to the best of men trained for it."

Jake opened his eyes and stared out at the horizon again. His voice was still filled with anguish as he replied. "I don't know, ever since then, I realized I didn't want to to end up like those guys, laughing at an innocent dead girl. I realized that everything my father said, about military and honor and doing the right thing was right. So I kept trying to get out, saying just one more job and no more questionable ones. They fired me when I refused a job and left me stranded in Qatar. I had to pay for my own trip back to the States. But then I couldn't find a decent job when I did get back here."

"I'm sorry you went through that, Jake. Talking about it will help." She inched over to sit closer to him and put her arm around his shoulder. Jake hung his head, his elbows still on his knees.

Jake sighed and she felt a shudder go through his body as he took a deep breath. "It does a little but still doesn't feel much better."

"Because you haven't forgiven yourself yet. Maybe you should pray about it too." She rubbed his back softly with her hand. 

"There's that church thing again," Jake said, though he wasn't teasing and actually looked serious about it. He looked at her and she saw the tears in his eyes. He gave her a weak smile.

"Yep." Heather smiled back at him.

A light breeze rolled across the top of the hill. Closing her eyes, she laid back on the blanket next to Jake. She felt the soft ground beneath her back and tried to relax. She felt like she had just gotten hit by a truck, feeling Jake's emotions as strongly as if they were her own. She wondered if this was what her father had felt like when he used to counsel people. But she felt Jake seeming a bit more relaxed beside her and had a feeling it was all worth it. 

Minutes passed without either of them saying anything. Jake stared off into the distance. She went between looking at him and staring up at the sky.

At last, Jake laid back and rolled over on his right side facing her, supporting his head with his right hand. He took her left hand in his free hand and absently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "You know, I haven't talked to anyone like this in a long time, if ever." 

"Me neither." Heather replied. She hadn't talked about her father in a long time. Jake's touch was nice and made her aware of how close he was to her.

"I guess everything's different now since the bombs. We have our own battles and troubles to deal with. It makes everything in the past seem trivial and so long ago."

Heather nodded, feeling the weight of the past months all of sudden, remembering how she used to worry about school politics, overbearing parents, the teachers' union and if her students were going to past the state exams and requirements for the No Child Left Behind Act that year. Now they were just struggling to survive.

Jake looked down at her and a long moment passed as they gazed into each others eyes.

Heather looked away first, embarrassed at how her pulse was starting to race at his nearness and touch. Jake ran his fingers higher, over her wrist and up her forearm. Then up to her upper arm and she couldn't stop the shiver that went through her, her arm tingling from his touch. Her lips parted as she looked back to stare up at Jake. Then suddenly he was leaning over her, his eyes closing, his lips descending down onto hers.

His lips were warm and gentle against hers at first. She was reminded of their first kiss, when she had kissed him by her truck. That one had been sweet and quick. When he had kissed away her tears after one of her nightmares, his kiss had been gentle and comforting. This kiss was totally different. He nibbled gently on her lower lips, nudging her lips apart. The kiss began to deepen as she began kissing him back, feeling the rush of emotion that his closeness sent through her body, feeling a connection to him that she hadn't realized was so strong and vibrant. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His hair threaded through her fingers as she pulled him harder against her mouth. She vaguely felt his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her full against his chest. The softness of her breasts pressed against him. Blood rushed to her head and the world faded around them. Everything was lost in the feel of his body against hers, the warmth of his mouth and tongue tangling and teasing hers.

A long minute later, they both came up for air, breathing heavy.

"Jake-"

His brown eyes met hers and the depth of emotion in his eyes made her swallow hard.

"We shouldn't do this..." Her body was telling her how right this felt, yet her mind was warning her that it could be wrong.

"Why?"

"Emily?" She looked up at him.

"What about Emily?" Jake looked confused. He sat up and pulled away from her. She felt the loss from him moving away.

"Well, she told me you two were working on getting back together." Heather said simply, her voice almost breaking. But yet, she had heard that Emily was getting rather romantic with the lieutenant that was serving as the liaison for the military. What if Jake was just looking for someone else to keep him company? She wasn't sure she wanted to be second place in Jake's line of interests, nor did she want to get involved with Jake if he and Emily were a couple again.

Jake let out a long breath and rested his forearms on his knees again, looking out in the distance. He looked back at her. "She said that? Emily and I are just friends. And no, we haven't been getting back together." 

Heather sat up on her elbows and nodded. "Jake, you two have a long history. And while I appreciate what you did today, I understand you're just being a good friend and-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Jake leaned over and pressed her quickly back onto the blanket again. His lips were on hers again, kissing her hard and fast. It took her breath away. Again, she felt the passion that his touch and kisses awakened within her and this time, felt that Jake was trembling in response as well. When they finally parted and she looked up into his eyes, she saw desire in his eyes. They were both breathing hard.

"Friends don't make each other feel this way," he said softly, his weight still on her. His body was lean and heavy on top of her and she liked how it felt. He cupped her chin with one hand. His eyes were dark with passion. 

"Jake, its attraction. That doesn't mean it-"

"Why are you trying to push me away?" he asked, sounding hurt. Jake rolled to one side of her, still close, their bodies touching.

"I'm afraid," she whispered so quietly, she wasn't sure he heard her. She swallowed hard. 

"Of?"

"That once you get to know me, you won't like me anymore." She answered with an honesty that surprised her and felt the old familiar pang of loneliness inside her. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on the top of her knees. She hadn't had any real relationships before. Not many guys ever seemed interested in seeing past her tough exterior or were intimidated by her knowledge. They always seemed interested in being friends, but the moment a well-dressed, good looking girl walked by, they forgot she was there. She was the girl next door, the one you grew up with, not the one you lusted after. And what had happened in New Bern still scared her and made her feel even more unworthy.

"Heh," Jake chuckled and she wasn't sure if she should be mad that he was making light of her feelings. He sat up next to her, his elbows on his knees again. Their legs were still touching. "And here I thought I was scaring you off. I don't deserve someone like you, not after everything that I've done."

"Well, after I first kissed you, you didn't even talk to me for weeks." She had felt extremely hurt when Jake had made himself scarce around her after that. She felt sure that Jake had just gotten bored with her.

"I know, I'm sorry about that. I was afraid. Afraid that I would screw things up, afraid that we were moving too fast, afraid because you were getting too close and I was starting to feel too much."

"And now?" She had to ask that now. They hadn't talked that much, especially in the last couple of weeks. When they did, it had been about the interviews or town hall meetings or other happenings around Jericho, though he had been asking how she was doing and how things were going down at the plant. Dinner was always a bit awkward as they faced each other over the table. She didn't think she had seen any interest from Jake, though this past week, she had often noticed him watching her when he thought she wasn't looking. He had also started getting up in time to join her and Gail for breakfast, but she had figured that was because he had work to do at City Hall or with the military.

"My dad made me realize that running away isn't the answer. And my mom reminded me that if I don't stop running around, I'll never stop. And that if we don't stop staring at each other all the time and not talk, she's gonna lock us in a room to figure things out."

Heather laughed at that. She hadn't realized that Gail Green had noticed.

"Back after Black Jack, you said I tick on dangerous. That's really not true." Jake turned to face her, running his hand down her shoulder and upper arm. "I do like light beer, and flannel pajamas but I've yet to see you wear any."

Heather smiled, touched that he remembered her words. "Well, it really hasn't been cold enough for that, especially in your nice warm house."

"Hmm, maybe I need to turn down the heat." He winked mischievously at her. 

"You didn't just ask me out here for a picnic, did you?" She found herself asking, wondering if Jake had had this planned all along. Could she even begin to hope that much?

"No, that wasn't my only intention. I had hoped that we could talk, I just didn't intend to talk that much," Jake chuckled. He moved to sit facing her on the blanket, his legs crossing hers which let him sit closer to her. He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "We should take things slow. Sorry, I didn't mean to let things get out of hand today, you just do that to me. Heather, it's more than just attraction, despite what you might think. I'd like to give it a shot and see if we can build something between us, that is, if you are interested."

She was floored and stared at him in shock. Jake wanted to be with her. She felt like the whole world had just stopped. Was she interested? Dumb question, but she didn't just want to jump into anything without thinking it through first. She hadn't really given in much thought before, never considering that Jake would ever make a move like this. Sure, she had dreamed about it before, but never thought it would ever become reality. But now here was Jake staring at her expectedly, his eyes full of emotion that she never thought she'd see, especially looking at her. The affection in his eyes sent a thrill through her. She was still trying to take it all in and probably waited too long to reply.

Jake sighed and looked guilty. "Look, I screwed things up the first time, Heather, and I'm sorry. I just don't want to go on and not give try again, give us a second chance. If you're willing to, that is. Are you?"

'I don't know, I'll have to think about it." She gave him a brief smile, admiring the way the sun shined on his hair. She thought about Jake and how he had changed, even in the little time she had known him. He still had some growing up to do, but so did she. Maybe that was something they could work on together.

Jake let go of her hands and gave her an exasperated, disappointed look, but she pushed against his knee. 

"I was just teasing, all right, but no more trying to blow yourself up on bridges, okay?" She had gone crazy with worry when she had heard he had nearly blown himself up on that bridge trying to stop Ravenwood. She was already a worrier, a trait she had inherited from her mother. She just hoped she could learn to deal with it maturely if she and Jake got together. Jake seemed to attract danger.

"You got a deal. I promise to try and think a little more first," Jake said sincerely, smiling at her. She loved being the focus of that smile. "So does this mean you'll stop avoiding me now?"

"I haven't been-" she started to deny it but the look Jake gave her stopped her mid-sentence. "All right, I have been. I'm sorry, but it's been awkward and I didn't know what you still thought of me after all that happened."

Jake squeezed both her hands in his. "And here I thought it was because I wasn't showering enough. And Heather?"

"What?" She was too busy staring dreamily at Jake, but saw that he looked serious again.

"Don't let what happened in New Bern get to to you. What happened wasn't your fault. You are beautiful and special, and definitely not boring. Don't let anyone ever tell you or make you think otherwise."

There was such power and emotion behind Jake's words that she blushed and looked away, unsure what to think and feel. She did turn back to look at him after a few seconds.

"Did you have all this planned out for today?" She wondered aloud. She had noticed that Jake was a bit nervous and tense, but now seemed a lot more relaxed.

"Yeah." He had a guilty-as-charged look on his face. "Well, except for how you would answer. And the talking part."

It touched her to think that Jake had planned this all out just for her.

"So does this mean we''re 'going steady'?" She teased, referring to the old high school term.

"If you're willing to put up with me and my screw ups." Jake ran his finger tips down her jaw, tracing a line down her neck and over her shoulder, sending a warm shiver of delight down her spine.

"You're not a screw up, Jake. Screw ups don't learn from their mistakes and keep making the same ones. It looks to me like you're not doing that."

Jake replied. "Well, I'm trying at least. I don't know why they keep looking at me like a leader. I always used to be a follower before."

She knew that most of the town looked to Jake as their leader, even with Gray as mayor and Eric helping him. At town hall meetings, they still looked to Jake for approval and his opinion on things. She had heard that he had earned the respect of the colonel at the military outpost. "Well, my dad used to say, if you're not going to lead doing the right things, then at least make sure whatever it is you're following is the right thing, even its just your own heart."

"Your dad sounds like he was a very wise man."

"He was in ways. You just need to find your way, Jake. You're a good leader, you have good instincts." She could see how he had stepped up since his father died. He sometimes let his temper or impatience get the better of him, but he usually calmed down and let reason prevail. His idea on the town charter was a good one, and he often worked out disagreements between people in a fair fashion and one that both parties involved respected.

"I'm afraid I'll just screw up again." Jake said.

"Everyone feels that way. And sometimes you will, but if you keep trying to do the right things for the right reasons, things will usually work out."

A long moment passed as they stared into each other's eyes. This time, neither of them looked away. Heather saw and felt the connection between them and it gave her hope, making her feel like there was a chance that things could work out between them.

Jake broke the silence at last, sighing as he took both of her hands in his again. "Heather, I don't know what kind of life I'll ever be able to offer you. My job history is terrible, I got thrown out of the military, they wouldn't even let me fly commercial planes until I got my record straightened out."

She looked at him for a long second before replying honestly. "Jake, I don't want big things or expensive houses. Not every girl wants money and the best of everything, especially not me. I just want someone to be with, someone who cares about me as much as I do him, someone to build a future with. A partner and a friend. Things aren't always going to be perfect and sometimes it's gonna be hard, but that's why you both work on them together."

"Do you have any idea how amazing you are?" Jake stared at her with admiration in his eyes. "How did you get to be smart?"

"Books. You should try it sometime." She teased, but knew he had been reading in the evenings as well, He had a collection of history and other books from the library he had been using to learn about colonial history, sharecropping and tenant farming for research for the town charter. He had also been reading a number of military books on tactics and wars.

"Heather, there is one thing. Well, two actually." Jake's expression turned serious and he had that distant look again as if he was guarding his thoughts. "First, there are going to be things I can't tell you. I know I told you about some of the five years. Some of it is still painful. But there are things going on right now that I can't talk about and I need you to trust me when I say it's for your own protection."

"Is it about the military and what they are up to?" A chill went down her spine but she ignored it. She had had a feeling he hadn't been totally honest with her with everything that he knew. When she or Gail had asked him about the military, Jake usually didn't answer fully. The most she had heard was that one breakfast a few weeks ago when he had mentioned that the military was searching for terrorists around Jericho. And she had never found out where Jake had gone that one night right after she had moved into his house. She also knew that Jake was starting to do more work with the military helping them take out the organized gangs operating outside of Jericho. 

Jake nodded. "I know it's not the best time to be starting a relationship, but I don't know when will be the best time, not with everything going on. And I'm afraid if we don't try now, there won't ever be a time."

She could see that. The bombs were changing everything. Life was no longer caught up in television shows and trips out of town to go shopping or see movies or taking the kids to lessons and practices. Now, they were just trying to survive. People were working together, growing closer to their loved ones and families. There was always gossip now about who was seeing who, or who had just gotten engaged, much like Stanley had recently. She wondered if his friend's engagement had encouraged Jake to finally think about his life. But Jake had said there were two things. She asked, "And the second thing?"

"I want to keep our relationship somewhat quiet."

"Why?" She felt a measure of pride at the thought of being with Jake, being able to do normal couple things together even though there really weren't a lot of social activities in Jericho anymore.

"Because I want to keep you all for myself." He chuckled, kissing her deeply as he pressed her back down on the blanket again.

But deep down, a little voice in her head told her that wasn't the full story. Thoughts raced through her mind, that maybe Jake was just getting involved with her because there was no one else. Maybe he didn't want to be seen with her, but that was probably her low self-esteem kicking in. But Jake seemed honestly worried about her. His kiss was distracting her from thinking clearly. Long minutes later, he brought the kiss to a sweet end, tucking a strand of hair behind her hair as he gazed down at her.

"So will you trust me on these things?" Jake stared at her, stroking her hair with one hand.

Heather nodded, not entirely sure what she was committing to, but if it meant she could be with Jake, that would be enough for now.

The rest of the afternoon, Jake showed her the rest of his family's ranch. There were over two hundred acres, most of it hills and woods, though there were several areas of farmland that they leased to area farmers, including Stanley. The Richmond farm bordered on some of the property. The ranch had once been a cattle ranch, but lack of enough grazing land had forced his grandfather to close it down and switch to a crop dusting business instead. They occasionally ran into old fences and run down cattle sheds and several old windmills that had been used for watering cattle. There were several creeks that ran through the property, as well as a few old abandoned mines. On the far edge of the property, close to the state road, Jake showed her the sawmill company which had been closed since the loss of power. She wondered if they would be able to open it again if they could get a wind turbine to supply it power. They definitely needed lumber and other wood products, including sawdust and paper.

Heather enjoyed their time together. By the time they got back to the barn and had taken care of the horses, darkness was falling. She was sore and tired from the riding. But Jake gave her a long passionate kiss before leaving the barn and driving them back home. Gail smiled at them when they walked through the door holding hands. Jake flirted with her openly across the dinner table and they spent the evening watching Titanic together, sitting on the couch together, side by side. Jake teased her when she cried at the end.

That night, he walked her upstairs kissing her tenderly outside the door to her room before they each went into their separate bedrooms. As she fell into a dreamy sleep, the last thought on her mind was the quote from Casablanca, which they had watched several weeks ago.

'I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship' Rick had told told his friend. But in their case, it was the start of a beautiful relationship. Heather was on cloud nine.

(To be continued...)  



	19. Chapter 19

Full Circle, Chapter Nineteen

The weeks that followed were some of the best in Heather's life and she got the feeling that Jake felt the same way. Jake would walk her to the plant each morning and would come to walk her home at night. They both spent long days working hard, Heather at the plant while Jake worked at town hall and with the military. Jake was spending increasing amounts of time in his new role of helping out the military and was often at the outpost along with Emily who was helping the military with their paperwork. There were rumors and concerns about town that Jake and Emily were getting too friendly with the military, which the townsfolk were beginning to regard with suspicion after the past months of searches and interviews and the request for supplies that Jericho could barely afford to spare.

There were weekly town hall meetings where the town residents met with Mayor Gray Anderson and his town council to talk over issues and to raise questions about when the government was going to bring things back to normal. There was little concrete information from the military or government about what was going on with the rest of the country, though Jake had somehow managed to get one of Ted's new friends in town communicating with others over the ham radio network and they were receiving more information that way. While Jake wasn't working as much at City Hall, many in town looked to him as an informal town leader, especially when he stressed that they still needed to be self-sufficient and not expect the military and government to save them still. Slowly, that message had been sinking in. Eric and Jake had drafted up a decent town charter and were hoping to have a vote on it once they got everyone to finally agree on a final draft and the trade rates for services and goods. Heather, with help from Jake when he could spare the time, kept busy helping with the workshops they held at the high school to help teach Jericho residents how to get by without the supplies and skills they used to rely on outside assistance for.

On weekends and on many weeknights, they started going out to the Richmond farm to help Stanley with spring planting and expanding their gardens and groves of apple, cherry and peach trees. Occasional spare evenings were spent helping Gail with her garden, reading books or watching movies together and working on the experiments Heather worked on for making new things to replace materials they could no longer get from stores. Jake found her an old crossword puzzle book and they worked on it together, in pencil so they could erase the puzzles and do them again later. There were long walks and talks, hand holding and gentle touches, shared looks, and the slow building of passionate kisses and making out on the couch. She had told Jake she wasn't very experienced and Jake didn't have a problem with that. Jake never pressured her to go too fast, even when things got very heated between them. Jake had started becoming used to taking cold showers and she even found herself needing a few of her own. The passion was strong between them, yet other times, they could lay together on the couch for hours just talking or reading, comfortable with just being together. At bedtime, he would walk her to her bedroom door and kiss her goodnight.

Heather even got Jake to start coming to church with her and Gail on Sundays. He actually listened to the sermons and held her hand then would smile at her while they sang the hymns together. She saw Jake becoming more relaxed and more focused on trying to help Jericho. She worried about Jake becoming bored with her, but then she would look up at him from across the table or as they sat together on the couch and the look in his eyes would take her breath away. He laughed at her quirky sense of humor, enthusiasm and silly mistakes while she teased him endlessly about being the town bad boy and becoming just like his father. They worked on fixing cars together, including tuning up Jake's Plymouth Roadrunner, in their limited spare time. She watched Jake discovering new interests, including history and reading, and they spent hours going through his father's and grandfather's books and collectibles. They helped Gail clean out his father's things from the closets, as well as going through the garage for things that they could reuse or donate to others. Gail seemed pleased to see how much her eldest son had been settling down and changing and had told Heather as much on several occasions, though Heather still sensed the older woman's grief and sadness and tried to keep her involved with helping Jericho. Thus, in addition to still working at the clinic, Gail had taken charge of helping find land for and starting gardens for those who didn't have room in their own backyards.

Heather and Jake spent the rare free afternoons off riding at the ranch or having a picnic. They shared dreams and plans for the future whether the government got back together or not. Jake still wanted to start a flight school if he ever had the chance. Heather was pondering if she should go back to teaching or stick with her new direction of building windmills and other machinery needed since the bombs left them stranded. Heather was enjoying being able to build the turbine plant, which was slowly being turned into a real production facility. Jake had been considering getting more involved in the government and trying to improve things for Jericho and other towns. She knew that he had started helping out the military more and was helping them start to take out some of the organized gangs that were still out terrorizing the roads and citizens not protected by towns. It worried her whenever he went out to finally take out another gang, but each time he had come home relatively unscathed and occasionally carrying a gift or two for her or Gail from leftovers from the goods they recovered. The morale in town was improving thanks to the work Jake was doing, even though the military was taking credit for it as Jake had requested his actual role be kept quiet.

Jake spent several sessions teaching her how to shoot and load various guns, including rifles and hand guns. It made her uncomfortable, but she recognized the need to be able to take care of herself if needed. One of the ex-military veterans taught a class on self-defense for the women at the school workshops and Heather did fairly well at it, testing the techniques on Jake, which often ended up with them both on the ground wrestling which quickly turned to laughing, tickling and kissing.

Jake started taking trips out of town in May for a few days at a time. He often took short trips to do reconnaissance on the organized gangs, but this was something different. Heather knew that he went on horseback, but wouldn't talk about where he went or why, only asking her to not ask him about it. At first, she didn't have a problem with it, but she felt how tense Jake was after he came home and she worried. They had been pretty open in discussing everything thus far, yet this was one thing he wouldn't talk about other than saying it had something to do with the military and government, which only made her worry more. She hated being a worrier, a trait she had inherited from her mother. All of them had to cover for Jake, only saying he had gone out to do work for the military and would return in a few days.

Spring slowly started to lead into summer and Jericho started harvesting their winter and first spring crops and early vegetables and began eating better after the long, hard winter. Spring planting of corn, soybeans, sorghum, spring wheat, oats, barley, dry beans and sunflowers had already been completed, nearly depleting their limited supply of fuel. Trial crops of cotton, flax, sugar cane, coconut, rice, and peanuts were also started. Most of the planting had to be completed by hand, which finally encouraged people to become interested in Jake and Eric's town charter idea, especially since they had yet to receive any fuel or supplies from the government but were still supposed to provide supplies in return. The first winter wheat crops were about to be harvested and the farmers were making plans on how to better harvest it as well as prepare the wheat for food use and trading. Without the fuel to transport it out of town to one of the Kansas mills, they had to develop alternatives for processing wheat and other grains. One of the farmers who had been growing and processing organic crops had his own small mill that they were slowly converting and expanding to process the rest of the grain crops for Jericho. There were cherries, blueberries and strawberries again and the town started to get busy with canning and other preservation techniques learned in the workshops. They were also growing and gathering herbs and other materials that could be used for medicine and cooking. Heather had taken on the project of figuring out how to make soap since the town was just about out and had been unable to trade for any more.

* * *

"So, would you like to tell me why you haven't given Colonel Hoffman the design for the wind turbines yet?" Jake asked Heather. 

Heather gave him an exasperated look as she looked over the wooden barrel at him. It was the look that said she really didn't want to talk about it.

All morning, he had been helping Heather set up the components for making lye water in the backyard of the Green house. For several weeks, they had been collecting rain water in barrels and siphoning it into jugs, as well as saving and collecting all the ash from fireplaces that they could get their hands on. Part of the garage was full of supplies for this project. Now, he had a wooden barrel that he had scavenged from Bailey's tavern set up in the backyard with bricks to support it and had helped Heather fill the bottom of the barrel with gravel and straw to filter the lye water. Heather had described the process to him but like many of her experiments so far, was unsure of how well it would all work. The first step, according to Heather, was to make lye water. This wasn't the first time in the past couple of months that Heather had been working on some sort of experiment at the Green house. Jake was turning into the strong man behind her little operations, not that he minded. It usually gave them a chance to be together and talk. But now, Heather was clamming up and he was determined to find out why.

"I don't know. I just haven't had the time," Heather replied at last, but she didn't look at him when she answered and her voice sounded a bit unsure. He was beginning to learn when Heather wasn't being totally honest with him, which very rarely happened. Heather did a final check of the layer of gravel and straw in the bottom of the barrel before looking up at him. "Okay, it's ready for the ashes."

"You were all eager at first to give them to him, but the colonel said he's asked you three times for them now. Come on, you have to have some designs you're using at the plant." Jake said, positioning the barrel a bit more centered on the bricks. He knew they were almost ready to start making turbines at the plant and had seen her and Ted pouring over large drawings several times in the offices there. He was getting the feeling that Heather was avoiding giving the designs to the colonel for some reason, but just hadn't figured out why yet. He had thought that the two of them had gotten close enough as friends and in their romantic relationship to trust one one another, but he had found that Heather still had her hang-ups occasionally. He had the feeling that this was one of them. Colonel Hoffman had asked Jake to ask Heather about the designs yesterday, telling him that he had already requested them from Heather several times already.

"Ashes?" Heather asked again, cocking her head to the side, her expression still unreadable. She glanced at his bare hands. "And use your gloves."

Heather already had on rubber gloves and he took the extra pair from the picnic table and pulled them on.

"Okay, don't answer." He gave her a wry smile. Knowing Heather, he would eventually get it out of her. She watched him begin scooping the ashes into the barrel from the plastic trash cans they had been keeping it in. She stopped him after he had added a layer of about six inches in the bottom of the barrel. He couldn't see the gravel and straw anymore. Heather lifted one of the five gallon buckets of water and he jumped over to help her. He knew she was strong enough to do it herself, but she always inspired him to do the heavy lifting. The smile she gave him as he took the bucket from her was worth it. He dumped that bucket and another bucket full of water into the barrel then she waved at him to wait.

Heather uncorked the small hole he had drilled in the barrel near the bottom and let the water begin to drain into the tub she had placed beneath the barrel. She put the cork back in, plugging the hole. "Okay, that works. Let's add the rest of the ashes nearly to the top."

The next several minutes, Jake and Heather spent dumping and packing the ashes into the wood barrel. He would dump the ashes and Heather would pack and settle them into the barrel with her gloved hands. It was messy and mindless work, but it gave him time to think as he watched Heather working alongside him.

The weeks since that day of their picnic on her birthday had been amazing. He had been thrilled when Heather had decided that he wasn't as bad of a screw-up as he knew he was and agreed to start a relationship with him. The attraction between them was powerful and he had discovered that while they both had their own unique personality traits and different interests, they both shared many similar values, interests and goals in life. But he had been surprised by how quickly and easily the two of them had fallen into such a strong and comfortable relationship. Their relationship was growing slowly as they learned about each other and faced the challenges of their new world order together. He had never imagined himself really settling down, but Heather had changed all that. He enjoyed every minute they spent together, even if it was just reading or watching movies or out working at Stanley's farm. He loved the sound of her laugh and the way her eyes lit up when she looked at him. He spent long minutes sometimes just looking at her, even if it was just watching her in his arms when she fell asleep watching a movie. He loved touching and kissing her, knowing that she was his at last. And he loved her innocence, knowing that he was slowly building her confidence that it was all right that she wasn't experienced and watching her discover how wonderful passion could be, both giving and receiving, especially with someone you really cared about.

He found an ease in talking to Heather that he had never known with anyone else before. After telling her much about what he had done in his five years away, he felt better about having someone to finally talk to now. He was able to share his grief of the loss of his father and the ups and down of their troubled relationship and how much it meant to him that his father had finally told him how proud he was of him. He only hoped he could still live up to his father's praise in the tough times ahead. With Heather at his side, he felt more confident that he could. He could tell her about his feelings, his fears, his uncertainty and discuss ideas about Jericho and some of what the military was up to without having to worry that she was going to judge him or think poorly of him or dredge something up from his past to remind him.

Heather had been helping him on the drafts of the town charter he and Eric had been working on. It had taken a lot of research and assistance from many others in town, including business owners and farmers like Stanley, teachers, those working at the clinic, the firemen, and even those working at the plant and mine and on the border patrol. Everyone had a stake in the charter and he tried to get everyone involved in its development and direction. Heather would offer him suggestions or insight into how people were thinking and how he could do a better job both on the charter and getting more people to support it , as well as working with others in the military and at town hall. At the same time, he was there for her, helping with her projects and experiments that she and others used in the workshops they held at the high school as well as helping out on occasion at the turbine plant. They were almost ready to start making the first turbines and had even hoped to have their first farm windmill prototype ready to try out at Stanley's wedding next week. They spent many evenings and weekends working at the Richmond farm helping Stanley, Mimi and Bonnie with the big gardens they had planted as well as with the rest of the farm. He frequently helped Heather fix the tractors and other equipment used on the farms as well and helping Stanley set up a still for trying to make ethanol. He enjoyed working side by side with Heather and even his mother had commented at how well the two of them worked together. His mother was quietly doting on Heather and seemed very pleased to see the direction he had been taking with his life and relationship with Heather.

Jake had always imagined what it would be like to find a relationship and partner in life like his parents had. Now, with Heather, he finally knew. He was afraid still, however, of going too fast and ruining things, of screwing things up, of getting too involved with this government plot and having to risk his life and possibly put others around him in jeopardy. He knew that Heather wasn't happy that he wouldn't tell her more about what he was really up to at times but he was afraid to tell her more, wanting to protect her and shield her from what he was really up to.

Even Emily had noted and told him how different he was, seeming more content and calm. He had caught the interested, longing looks she occasionally shot his way when they were working together at the outpost. But she didn't say much, other than asking how Heather was doing and giving him a sly smile. He was sure she didn't think this relationship with Heather was going to last. But he felt otherwise. This time it felt different.

He equally loved and hated keeping their relationship quiet. He was proud of Heather and he loved spending time with her. He loved having her all to himself, except for their work out on Stanley's farm or times they spent with Eric and Mary or his mom. He knew Heather regretted not going out socially together, not even to Bailey's or other small parties people had to celebrate spring. He had heard of the rumors about them, especially after having been seen in church together or holding hands on their way to work, but he had dismissed them saying they were only good friends, especially to the military and soldiers that asked him if he had a girlfriend. Knowing the rumor mill in Jericho, he was pretty sure most people didn't believe that, but at least it kept them guessing. Some even said that he and Emily were playing a dangerous game of trying to make each other jealous with other relationships, as Emily had steadily been becoming closer to Lieutenant Williams as a part of Rob Hawkins' plan to get inside the government.

His work with the military had been going well, though they had yet to take on Jonah Prowse yet as he tried to figure out the best way to go about it. He had kept his military work quiet, not showing his face or letting on what he was actually doing to those in Jericho. Thus far, Jake's attempts to get back on Jonah's good side were not working out, even when he tried to act like the bad boy again to work his way back into his organization. Jonah was not convinced. Emily had been mad when she heard that he was helping the military prepare to go after her father, worried about how much attention the operation would get especially once Jericho found out. Instead, Jake had helped the military and Lt. Robbins root out several other organized gangs using strategies and tricks to slowly bleed away their people and resources and bring them down with a big military strike in the end. Each group had been different, requiring different tactics and skills to infiltrate and stop them while trying to minimize how much firepower and risk it required. Their efforts were paying off, as crime had slowly been going down both inside and outside of Jericho and town morale was improving. He was getting a good reputation with the military, including with Colonel Hoffman, and had heard that the Tomarchio administration was also taking notice. He wasn't sure he wanted that kind of scrutiny, but Rob Hawkins had told him that he was on the right path.

He had had one minor setback after Colonel Hoffman had told him that Robert Hawkins wasn't in the CIA database either, making him worry that Rob wasn't being totally honest with him either. So he told the colonel and Lt. Williams that he had found several leads on Hawkins whereabouts outside of Jericho and was still trying to follow up on them as he had time. Then Rob had set up an old hunting cabin to make it look like he had stayed there and Jake had led Lt. Williams and a military patrol out to check it out. It had given him some credibility that he was trying to help them out.

"Earth to Jake! Jake?" It took Heather calling his name several times before Jake stopped what he was doing as he dumped one last bucket full of ashes into the barrel. He saw that it was nearly full. Her voice broke him out of his reverie. She was smiling up at him, amused. "Time to add the rest of water."

Heather helped him, dumping jugs and buckets of water into the barrel. His mom had helped Heather boil the water for the past week. Heather had said they needed 'soft water' to help make the lye water. Rain water was a good start, but boiling it would help as well. So they had collected the water from runoff off the gutters, boiled it, then returned it to the jugs and buckets that he had stored in the garage. Their neighbors had given them strange looks at first, but once Heather got other people to start dropping off their own collected rain water and ashes and explained the process to anyone who would listen, they had started to take this operation seriously. Several families with children had stopped by several times today for an educational lesson on the process. Heather's talent and patience as a school teacher had shined as she went over her process for the hundredth time and answered the same questions over and over again.

When they had filled the barrel nearly to the top with water, soaking the ashes inside, he put a lid on the barrel and they both sat down on the picnic table bench to rest. As they took off their rubber gloves, Jake took Heather's hand in his, squeezing it gently. Her hand was damp with sweat from the gloves, but soft, warm and familiar. "Think this'll work?"

"Hope so. We should know in a few hours." Heather smiled at him and squeezed his hand in return. He felt the callouses that had been growing on her hands due to all the manual work at the plant and at the farm. He knew that his own hands had their own share now as well.

She had sat so close to him, their thighs were touching and she felt wonderful next to him. They were both wearing jeans and the early June day was quickly warming up. He felt the light layer of sweat underneath his t shirt across his chest and down his back. He felt and saw that Heather was a bit warm and sweaty as well, despite the sleeveless top she wore. She still smelled and looked great. He wasn't looking forward to summer in Jericho, especially since they probably wouldn't have air conditioning, but if it meant he got to see Heather wearing cute tops like the one she wore right now, it might not be so bad.

"Ready for the party tonight?" Jake asked, trying to stop where his mind was wandering. Tonight was Stanley's bachelor's party he was throwing for his friend before the wedding next weekend. The girls were throwing together their own little party here at the Green house, while Eric had arranged to have Stanley's party at the apartment he shared with Mary over the tavern. They had all decided that it would be uncomfortable to have the bachelor party at the Richmond house after all that had happened there and they hadn't wanted the women to be left alone at Stanley's house. He had yet to set foot back in Stanley's house much beyond the living room since the battle with New Bern. Seeing the kitchen where his father had died was still too raw and painful. He had nothing big planned, just alcohol and swapping stories for tonight, a break from the hard work and rough reality of the past months. It had been a long while since he had had time to just sit and talk old stories with Stanley and Eric and he was looking forward to it. He had heard some of what was planned for Mimi's party, however, the trying on of the wedding dress, gifts and party favors and probably gossip and stories as well. His mother and Heather had been cleaning and preparing things at the house for the past week.

"I guess," Heather said, sighing as she closed her eyes, tossing her head back as she leaned against the picnic table. He saw the light covering of freckles that were coming out on her face and arms due to the time she had been spending in the sun. He made a plan to kiss all those freckles when he had the chance. "Mary says she's bringing a surprise and we all got a little something for Mimi."

"Naughty gifts?" Jake wondered aloud, having heard stories about what sometimes went on at bridal showers and bachelorette parties.

"Hah!" Heather blushed sweetly as she glanced at him. He really loved her innocence and the way it made her blush. "I don't think Victoria's Secret is answering their phone right now and the mall in New Bern was picked dry of anything worth trading months ago."

He found his thoughts wandering to what it would be like to see Heather wearing something sexy. Her low-scooped top wasn't helping either. Time to change gears, he told himself.

"So, about the design," Jake started again. "Why don't you want to give it to them? This military isn't all bad, despite what I've said. They are trying to help rebuild, you know, and your design can help others."

"I know," she replied, turning her head to look him in the eyes, looking more willing to talk with him on this finally. He loved her eyes that went from light gray-blue to dark blue depending on her mood and what she was wearing. Right now, her eyes seemed dark with uncertainty. "I don't know, I guess I'm just not sure how good the wind turbine design is."

"Do the ones you already made work?" Jake asked knowing it was a rhetorical question. He pointed over toward where he knew one of the wind turbines were set up. They couldn't see it from the backyard, but they walked by it every day. Heather had shown him how they worked and he often helped her with fixing and maintaining them. They worked pretty effectively from what he could tell as long as there was some wind, which was most of the time.

"I know, but they really aren't the best. I mean, we don't have battery power or a really good regulator to keep the power output stable and-" Jake laid a silencing finger over her lips and she blinked up at him in surprise.

He knew she was being hard on herself. He had noticed that she tended to be a perfectionist and self-conscious about the projects she worked on, especially the turbines. "Heather, they work and that's all that matters. You're not going for a patent here."

"But there's better designs out there." Heather protested.

"Probably, but all they need is something that works. It's likely someone will take your design and improve it, but that's how it works. You got ours working and it's made a huge difference for Jericho."

Heather opened her mouth as if about to say something then stopped herself.

"Stop being so hard on yourself. Just give him the design of something that works. That's all they want, especially any ideas for homemade materials and the design for the generators that you used." Jake had heard that they used wind turbine farms up in Cheyenne for some of their power. What the colonel was looking for was a design for something on a smaller scale and that could be made and used by smaller towns. "Colonel Hoffman is a good guy. He's also interested in any wind turbines that you can start making for outside of Jericho once we have enough of our own."

"He is?" Heather asked.

Jake knew they were getting ahead of themselves. They still needed turbines to supply power to the rest of Jericho as well as some of the outlying farms. Those were the first priority Heather and Ted had been focusing on. Heather had said they had enough parts to probably make about six new turbines at first, but would have to start manufacturing their own blades and stands as well as other parts for the generators. They hadn't talked much about making turbines for others, though Gray had asked him if it would be possible to make them to trade to other towns and the military if they were interested. He knew they were already starting to make and repair other metal pieces, including parts for tractors and other farm equipment, as well as nails and wires.

"Yeah, so you and Ted better get busy," he teased her, knowing that both she and Ted and the rest of their crew at the plant had been working long hours to get the plant ready. He tried to not be jealous of Ted, despite Heather's reassurances that he was like a brother to her. They seemed obviously close and it worried him when he saw their two heads together working at the plant office going over paperwork and designs. They worked so well together, talking in technical jargon that was way beyond him and sometimes even completing each other's sentences. And they spent longs hours together down at the plant, sometimes more than he and Heather did together. Sighing, he decided to not let himself get worked up today worrying about Ted and Heather. He nodded at the barrel in front of them. "After you make some soap, that is. Gotta clean up Jericho one way or another."

Heather did laugh at his little joke, as she often did. At least she appreciated his odd sense of humor. His mother said he got it from his grandfather.

By the end of the afternoon, they had refilled many of their jugs and buckets with newly made lye water. Heather had tested it with an egg in a bucket of the water several times during the day before declaring it strong enough. The lye water was carefully stored in the garage and used ashes tilled into the vegetable garden and compost heap. The next step, making the soap, was planned for next week at the high school. They were still collecting the oils and animal fat and other herbs that would be required. Some of the lye water was going to be sent to the medical clinic and farms to be used as a cleaner. If this worked, others could start making lye water and soap on their own.

By the time they finished, Jake was covered in sweat again. Heather was looking worn but more confident knowing her experiment had worked. They had enough time to eat dinner and shower before the parties began.

(To be continued...)


	20. Chapter 20

Full Circle, Chapter Twenty

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Mary repeated the old phrase. 

Bonnie, Mimi, Emily, Heather and Mary all sat together in the Green's living room. The coffee table and much of the floor surrounding the furniture was covered in wedding decoration supplies, silk flowers, boxes wrapped up with ribbons and tiny gift bags. There were also several plates of finger foods including vegetables, tiny sandwiches and Emily's latest batch of experimental cookies. On the couch, Heather sat on one side of the bride-to-be and Mimi's soon-to-be sister-in-law, Bonnie, on the other side. Mary and Emily sat in the recliners on the other side of the table. Soft music a portable CD player echoed across the room. Right now it was playing sultry soft jazz that suited the mood.

"And a silver sixpence in her shoe," Heather added.

"I don't remember that part," Emily said.

Mary smiled. "I think many people have forgotten that part."

"What's a sixpence?" Bonnie asked. 

Heather was always amazed how well Bonnie spoke as well as followed conversations through lip-reading, though Heather always tried to make the effort to articulate her words more clearly when Bonnie was around. Heather held up the small box she was holding. Being mindful to let Bonnie read her lips, Heather answered. "It's a British coin. They no longer use them, but fortunately, Gail had one from her own wedding."

Afraid she was sounding like a book-worm as usual, Heather handed the box to Mimi, who opened it and pulled out the small silver sixpence. Gail had asked Heather to give it to Mimi, choosing to leave their little bachelorette party to the younger women. She had gone over to a friend's house for the evening after asking them to keep the party down to a low roar tonight. 

Mimi asked, holding up the coin. "I have to wear this in my shoe? The entire time?"

"That's the tradition," Mary answered. "Left shoe, for wealth and fortune."

"I'm marrying a farmer. I don't think wealth is going to be part of it." Mimi said with a half-laugh.

Mary responded with a knowing nod, smiling. "You have a farm with lots of food. You are now considered rich, trust me on that." 

Heather handed another small box to Mimi. "And from me, something old."

Mimi opened the box revealing two ivory hair combs.

"They belonged to my grandmother who wore them on her wedding day and my mom wore them on hers." Heather explained. She had gone over to her house to retrieve them and find her other present for Mimi. The Owen family was still living in her house and Mr. Owen had even been fixing it up while staying there. Fortunately, everything in her bedroom had remained mostly untouched, including the combs that she had kept out on her dresser to keep the ivory from yellowing. The other present she was giving Mimi had taken some time to find in an old box in her closet.

"They are lovely, thank you. " Mimi said then whispered to Heather. "I'll give them back to you after the wedding."

"Is that making them the borrowed one?" Emily asked.

"No, you've got the something borrowed. Besides, it's good luck to have things that fit multiple qualifications." Mary replied. "Now for something new."

Mary handed a small gift bag to Mimi. Inside, Mimi found a box of perfume. Chance by Chanel the label read. Heather wasn't sure if it was expensive or not, but Mimi's face lit up like a Christmas tree as she saw it. "Oh God, I love this stuff! I had a bottle of this back in D.C. Pricey too. Where in the world did you get it?"

The perfume was still in the plastic wrapping. Mary had told her that she had gotten it to settle a tab at the tavern and had never had the chance to open it. They all had to be creative in their gifts and part of the bride tradition, seeing as they couldn't just go out shopping for them. Trading for goods and services was still common about town, though most people were running out of things to trade.

"My secret." Mary smiled mysteriously. "You're up, Emily."

"Something borrowed," Emily said, standing up to hand Mimi a long, black jewelry case.

Mimi carefully opened it. Inside was a beautiful pearl necklace and matching earrings. "These are real?" 

Emily nodded. "I was supposed to wear them on-" she paused a second. "At my wedding. I think they will be perfect with your dress."

Heather glanced over at the wedding dress that was hanging up on the door frame going into the dining room. Mimi had brought it over and tried it on for them. It was a lovely dress made of organza and lace. Several of the women in town had made the dress for Mimi and helped adjust the bridesmaid dresses they had obtained in exchange for vegetables and fruit from the farm. 

"Thank you, Emily," Mimi said. "I wasn't sure what I was going to wear, as I didn't bring much jewelry with me when I came here to Jericho. These will be perfect."

Mimi gave Emily a warm hug. Heather knew it was a little awkward between the two since Mimi had asked Mary and Heather rather than Stanley's childhood friend Emily to be bridesmaids. Bonnie was to be the maid-of-honor. Mimi had insisted on having her own friends as bridesmaids and left Stanley to choose his own groomsmen. Heather had a feeling it was because she, Jake, Eric and Mary were often out at the farm helping them on the farm. Emily rarely came out to the farm to help, though Heather knew she spent most her time at the military outpost and with Lt. Williams. Emily also helped with the school workshops, keeping them organized as well as helping with the cooking experiments they did. But they had invited Emily to this party, glad to have anther female friend along. Heather hadn't seen Emily all the much since she had gotten back from New Bern, especially since she had started dating Jake. Emily had only wished her and Jake the best when she had heard the news and seen Heather at one of the school workshops. Heather missed her friendship at times, but her new friendships with Mimi, Bonnie and Mary were making up for it.

"And now for something blue," Bonnie said, reaching down beside her to pull out another small gift box, this one slim and white.

Opening it, Mimi pulled out a garter belt made of blue satin ribbon and lace. Mimi ran her fingers down the satin ribbon. "Oh wow, this is beautiful."

"I made it for you," Bonnie said, smiling proudly. "Think Stanley will like it?"

"Whenever he does get to finally see it!" Mary teased and Mimi actually blushed. Mimi signed what Mary said to Bonnie and Bonnie laughed.

"Thank you, ladies. All of you. These are great." Mimi said, taking both Heather and Bonnie's hands and squeezing them and smiling at Mary and Emily.

Heather smiled at her new friend. They had spent the past couple of weeks planning for this wedding, including figuring out who would give the gifts for the wedding traditions. They were trying to keep this wedding as normal as possible, despite the lack of outside resources. It was challenging, but everyone was pitching in and doing their best. 

The CD stopped playing.

"Ok, it's my turn to choose the music," Mary declared, jumping up. She went through the pile of CD's Heather had put out and selected one of Heather's old dance mix CD's she had made back in high school. 'Crazy on You' from Heart started playing from the stereo.

"Think I heard this song in a strip joint once. Don't ask!" Mimi asked, arching an eyebrow. She stared at Mary. "You didn't get a stripper did you? Some of those soldiers are mighty cute. Wouldn't mind seeing some of them out of uniform."

"Hah!" Mary said. "We're telling Stanley you said that."

"Where did we find a working stereo anyway?" Emily asked. "The only music I've heard in months is from your jukebox."

Mimi answered, winking at Heather. "Heather probably fixed it. She also fixed Stanley's old Kenwood stereo so we'll have music to dance to at the wedding."

"And she fixed Gail's VCR," Mary bragged for Heather, nodding at the VCR sitting on top of the Green's old television, then looked at her. "You know, you could probably go into business fixing DVD players right now."

"I have more than enough to do, thanks," Heather said with a laugh. She had had several requests to fix things once the rumor mill got the news that she was good with electronics, but Jake had turned them away saying she was too busy which was true. Instead, she referred many of them to Ted and some of the new friends that he had made that were fairly good with electronics, even better than she was since she was a bit behind on the newer technologies. Ted's crew had been able to put together some working electronics, mostly older televisions and a few VCRs and DVD players and other small appliances, including video games. They were also working on putting together working computers and other electronics out of all the broken ones. City Hall had gotten the first working computers to use for tracking town resources and for writing up the town charter and its system of measurements to be used for tracking services and trade goods. But she had gotten Jake's old CD player working a few weeks ago and they all took turns using it to listen to music while home. It was odd being able to hear music again after the many months without working electronics. They had all taken it for granted, like many other things.

Emily gave Mimi a curious look. "I thought you had a string quartet coming?" 

There had been several former musicians that had also offered their services for the wedding. It still amazed Heather how many talented people lived in Jericho. People were often having to draw on their own talents and abilities to provide little things in life, in an attempt to maintain some semblance of normalcy since the bombs. Then again, the exchange of services for food from the Richmond farm made a lot of people come out of the woodwork being willing to help or just wanting to attend the wedding. They had had to keep the guest list pretty small for the wedding. They had already started receiving small gifts and offers to help on the farm regardless. Stanley was pretty well-liked in town, especially because he often stood up for the farmers in the town hall meetings. Mimi and Bonnie both also participated in the workshops at the high school.

"For the wedding yes, but I'd like some good ole rock and roll to dance to." Mimi stated.

"Making wind turbines, fixing electronics, making soap, is there anything you can't do Heather?" Emily half teased.

"Hah, I'm terrible at cooking and couldn't tell you the difference between Gucci and Prada or what colors to decorate your bedroom with." Heather answered honestly, wondering if she had mis-pronounced Prada. She didn't like all this attention all of a sudden. She just used what skills she had to help others, like many others were doing as well.

"Some of us don't care what color the bedroom is, just as long as it has a comfy bed," Mary said suggestively.

Fortunately, Mimi jumped in to change the topic. "All right, so thank you for all the little gifts for the wedding. I"m really getting excited about all this now. I can't believe it's only a week away."

"Oh, we're not done yet!" Emily said with a big smile.

Heather said. "We each got you a little something."

"You really didn't have to. It's not like you can go out shopping." Mimi began to protest. 

"I'll start." Heather said and handed Mimi a gift bag containing several small satchels that she and Gail had made of dried flowers and herbs that smelled wonderful. The bag also had a book she had had to search through boxes in her closet for. 'A Farm Wife's Handbook' was the title. Her mother had received it as a gift from her grandparents, having not grown up on a farm, her mother had had to learn the hard way how to help out on her grandparent's farm. Heather had skimmed through it and knew it had little tidbits of knowledge, like animal care, cooking, cleaning and gardening. Mimi pulled all of the contents out of the bag, smelling the satchels appreciatively. 

"This will come in handy!" Mimi said, thumbing through the book and stopping on a page. "How to butcher and clean a chicken. I could have used this months ago!"

Bonnie had dropped off her gift for Mimi a week ago and went upstairs to retrieve it from Gail's office. When she returned, she was carrying a big package that had been carefully wrapped up in old muslin cloth. She set it carefully on the coffee table in front of Mimi. It looked to be large and soft. 

"What's this?" Mimi eyed Bonnie suspiciously.

"Just open it." Bonnie looked a bit nervous.

Mimi carefully unwrapped it, revealing a beautiful old quilt. Mimi stared at it in awe as she ran a hand over it, tracing a line of hand-stitched quilting. It reminded Heather of her own grandmother's quilt. 

Bonnie explained her gift. "This belonged to my great-great-grandmother. My mother used to have it on her bed. Now, I would like you to have it for your and Stanley's bed."

"Bonnie!" Mimi looked overwhelmed. "Are you sure you want me to have this? It must mean a lot to you."

"I want you to have it, for making Stanley so happy. He will be happy to have it on his bed as well." Bonnie replied.

"Thank you." Mimi started crying, She gave Bonnie a great big hug, wiping tears from her eyes. Heather had heard from Stanley that it had taken a long time for Bonnie to accept Mimi and for the two of them to finally get along. Stanley's being away in New Bern had brought the two of them closer together. Mimi had also got Stanley to accept Bonnie's relationship with Sean Henthorn, which was still ongoing as the young man was still staying and helping out at the Richmond farm. 

"And I brought you a little something too." Emily handed Mimi a normal sized apparel gift box. She gave Mimi a mysterious smile. "Something I haven't had a chance to use as I was saving it for my wedding night. I think you can find a better use for it."

Opening the box, being careful to not break the ribbon on it, Mimi pulled out a very sexy, skimpy red satin negligee. All of the women oohed and aahed with a few devilish laughs thrown in. Heather felt herself blushing, imagining what it would feel like to wear something like that, to have the man you loved staring at you wearing it. She thought of Jake and wondered what his face would look like if he saw her wearing something like that.

"Try it on!" Mary teased. 

"And give a show to whoever walks by?" Mimi nodded at the bay window behind them. It was dark outside now. She winked at Mary and carefully returned the garment to its box. "It's very beautiful, but I think I'll just save this for Stanley."

"And my present," Mary said, "is for all of us."

Mary reached next to the armchair she was sitting at and pulled a bottle of whiskey out of a brown paper bag. There were cheers all around.

"Where in the world did you find real booze? I thought you were out months ago?" Emily asked. "Have you been holding out on us?"

"I kept a few bottles in reserve, for special occasions." Mary replied. "Actually, Eric and I had a coin toss to see who got to have it and I won."

"Those poor guys, having to drink that terrible homemade stuff of yours." Mimi laughed.

"I'll get some glasses," Heather jumped up and headed to the kitchen. She was looking forward to have a little alcohol for once. She never drank much before, but this much girl talk and attention was getting to her. She needed to unwind.

"I wonder what they are doing right now." She heard Emily say as she left the room.

* * *

"Oh no, that was Glen Sanders. Danny Craig was the one that got caught mooning the entire school." Jake said, trying to contain his laughter.

"Sixth grade, I remembered that. Big white ass." Stanley added. "I think Principal White paddled him on that bare ass until it was red after that."

Eric, Jake and Stanley sat around the living room of Eric and Mary's apartment over the tavern. They could hear the pounding music from downstairs. They always cranked up the jukebox downstairs on the weekends.

"More scotch?" Eric offered, holding up the bottle. Eric had been two years behind Jake and Stanley in school, but he still knew many of their old stories as well as had a few of his own. 

"Where the hell did you get this stuff anyway, Jake?" Stanley asked as Eric poured him another tall glass full. 

They had already almost finished the first bottle and Jake had brought two of them. Jake had confiscated them in one of the recent gang raids. Occasionally, the military would let him keep a few items from the raids, as long as it was minor. When he had mentioned his best friend's upcoming wedding, they had let him keep a couple of the bottles. He grinned mysteriously at his friend. "I have my resources."

"That's Jake for 'I'm not gonna tell you chumps,'" Stanley said. "The perpetual Man of Mystery."

"Just don't let those downstairs see or hear we have this or we'll have a mutiny on our hands." Eric laughed.

Sean Henthorn and Stanley's cousin had also been invited to this party, but the two were both too young to legally drink yet, though they had debated whether they really needed to stick to every single old law out there right now. So they had agreed to let the boys have a glass each before the two disappeared downstairs to play pool. They were an unlikely duo, with Stanley's cousin Richie being a quiet, hardworking farm boy and Sean the town juvenile delinquent. Yet Jake had noticed Sean settling down and growing up since he had been staying at Stanley's house and dating his sister Bonnie and hadn't heard that he was hanging out with Jonah Prowse anymore, especially since Mitchell Cafferty had disappeared. The boy was still irritating however. He wondered if he had been that cocky and annoying when he had been that age. 

Jake was definitely buzzed and was working on getting drunk, much like his brother and Stanley. Eric and Stanley were comfortably stretched out on the sofa as Jake sat in the armchair. Eric poured another round of drinks, finishing the first bottle. He was glad he had brought two. Jake stopped them from drinking however.

"A toast, my friends," Jake said, struggling to get to his feet. He wavered a bit, nearly spilling his drink. Holding up his glass, he held it up and out toward Stanley.

"To my best friend, Stanley. Wishing him the best of times in the years ahead as he finally leaves the single life behind and gets tied down by the ball and chain-"

Stanley threw a cushion at him.

"And to years of great sex, at least until you're fifty!" Jake continued, winking suggestively at his friend.

"Fifty?" Stanley objected. "To hell with that, I'm going to be alive and kicking and making out with my wife until seventy at least, if not longer!"

"Assuming you can still get it up." Jake teased his friend.

"Maybe we'll have a better version of Viagra by then." Eric suggested.

"Or at least drugs in general," Jake added with a sad sigh. They still had had no medicine from the government. 

"The more, the better!" Stanley exclaimed.

"And..." Jake continued just as Stanley and Eric were about to drink. They stopped. "To no more IRS, at least unless they bring us more beautiful women!"

"Hear hear!" Eric and Stanley shouted a bit loudly. They clinked their glasses together and all drank deeply.

"Hey, best man!" Stanley said after a minute. "Aren't you supposed to bring a stripper to these things?"

"I"ll get right on that." Jake laughed. Though the thought had occurred to him, they had no strippers that he knew of in Jericho. He didn't want to think about that either, not sure what Heather would have thought if he had actually found one. He decided on the next best thing... gossip. "Remember Marcie Winters? She moved to Vegas and became a stripper."

"You're kidding?" Eric said. "Miss Prim and Proper?"

Jake remembered the girl. Silky long brown hair, never wore make up. She had always dressed conservatively, often wearing sweaters and long skirts that hid her figure. He and every other guy in school had wondered what she looked like under those clothes. He had heard from Emily that she had a great body. He took another big drink. "Yeah. Ricky in the border patrol said he saw her the last time he went on a gambling trip. Even went out with her a few times. Pretty hot."

"My blood runs cold..." Eric began to sing.

"My memory has just been sold," Stanley joined in.

"My angel is the centerfold. Angel is the centerfold." They sang together, a bit out of tune. Stanley still couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.

"J. Geils Band," Jake said. He had always had a knack for songs and artists. "Thought I had forgotten that song," 

"Wow, who woulda thunk it? Marcie Winters." Stanley said, his speech slurring and he was slouching more in his seat. "I asked her out once, on a dare."

"And how did that go?" Jake had never heard this story.

"Crashed and burned, hard," Stanley peered down at his glass, looking forlorn.

Jake knew that Stanley had never had a lot of luck with girls. Stanley had been skinny and shy in high school, not getting his growth spurt until after they graduated, though he had always been easy-going and friendly. He had never had time for sports or hanging out much as his parents had him busy on the farm most of the time. And then his parents had died leaving him with the farm and Bonnie to take care of. It was a lot of responsibility.

"You sure you want to go through with this, man?" Jake asked Stanley while his friend was still able to somewhat think. Jake had had his own reckoning with responsibility lately, needing to take care of his mom and Heather as well as Jericho now that his father was gone.

"Yeah, I do. I never felt like something was so right before in my life," Stanley replied, his voice strong and sincere.

"No regrets?" Jake asked. "No second thoughts?"

"Nope. Happily married ever after is my goal." With that, Stanley raised his glass and they all silently toasted before drinking again.

In one week, Stanley would be married. As if a farm to run and kid sister hadn't been enough, now he would have Mimi to look after. But they would also have each other, Jake reminded himself, and he had never remembered seeing his friend as happy as he was now. He hadn't know that such happiness existed until he had met and gotten together with Heather. Now he understood. He wondered what Heather was doing right now at their party. He had been a bit worried at putting her and Emily together, knowing the two of them had grown apart as friends and there was due to be friction because of him.

"Wonder what our girls are doing right now," Eric said as if reading Jake's mind.

"Probably having tea and cookies." Jake suggested, trying to stifle a laugh at that thought. Eric had said that Mary had taken a bottle of whiskey with her to the party.

They all looked at one another before saying and laughing together. "Nah!"

* * *

"So, my first time was in the back of my boyfriend's parents mini van," Mimi said. She had reclined back against the cushions of the couch. Bonnie had curled up on the far side of the couch, while Heather had sat back on her own side, propping a leg up on the coffee table. Gifts and empty food plates covered the table along with the silk flower arrangements and party favors they had put together before they started drinking too much to work on them any more. The conversation had gone from talking about town gossip, to sexy Hollywood stars and then to sex. A sultry song about love played on the CD player, adding to the mood.

The five of them had polished off two thirds of the bottle of whiskey Mary had brought, while limiting the amount that Bonnie had. It only took the young girl one glass before she was buzzed. Heather had noticed that Bonnie also slurred her sign language a bit, both Mimi and Emily teasing her larger than normal gestures when she tried to talk. Heather had kept her drinking down to a minimum, especially after the last time she had gotten drunk trying to cheer Emily up on her scheduled wedding day. The guys at the plant still teased her about how out of it she had been that day after a couple of guys had found her at Bailey's and spread the story She wasn't sure what she would say, especially if she got drunk. Losing inhibitions didn't come easily to her, despite the closeness she felt with Mary and Mimi. Emily being here made her feel uncomfortable, much like the direction their conversation was heading.

"Ugh, mini vans. Terrible suspension." Mary stated. Mary had both of her legs draped over an arm of the recliner she sat in, her back and shoulders against the other side. Her bare feet swung free from over the arm of the chair.

"Yeah, you're telling me. And those stupid seat dividers. I think I had bruise marks all down my back and the backs of my legs." Mimi said. "Try explaining that to your mom."

"How about a hay wagon, with straw sticking you in the back and getting stuck all over you when you're sweaty." Mary said. "Any time I see straw nowadays, I think of that night."

"With who?" Emily asked. Heather knew that both Emily and Mary had known each other from school and growing up in Jericho. Emily had her feet up on the foot rest of the recliner and looked well on her way to being drunk. 

Mary gave a revealing smile. "Howard Herbert."

Emily gave a squeal of surprise, kicking her feet with delight against the footrest. "You're kidding? Farm boy? The quiet tall guy? I didn't even think he knew how to talk!"

"Oh, he knew how to talk all right, the language of love. He was something else in bed, I'll give him that." Mary closed her eyes, running her hands up and down her body in a mock gesture of sexual caressing. "After a hay ride, everyone else had left and he was going to put the wagon away on his parents farm and I had nearly fallen asleep on the wagon. I woke up to find him kissing me gently and his hand down my pants. He was a very good kisser and definitely knew how to use those hands of his."

There were a few giggles and cat calls around the room. Heather blushed, growing more uncomfortable as the topic continued. She felt terribly inexperienced next to all these women talking casually about their first times and other boyfriends as they had for the past while. Even Bonnie had admitted that her first time was pretty good with Sean. God, even Bonnie, a sixteen year old, had more experience with sex than she did. She and Jake had gotten fairly passionate when making out, but never passed second base, as Jake called it. Then again, she hadn't been comfortable with going too fast. The memories of what had happened in New Bern still haunted her though the strong passion between her and Jake were slowly making those memories fade at last.

"My first time," Emily began. Her hair was mussed and she looked entirely at ease.

She had always envied how beautiful and confident Emily was. Heather held her breath, wondering if this was going to go where she thought it was. Sure enough, it did.

"Me and Jake in the back of his car out by the old covered bridge," Emily said, closing her eyes as if lost in remembering, then opening them quickly, stifling a laugh. "We both had no idea what were doing. Jake was so nervous, he had a little trouble figuring out which hole it goes in."

Mimi and Mary laughed and Heather was embarrassed, but wasn't sure if it was for herself or Jake. She had often heard that first times could be rough, especially for teenagers with so much bad information out there on sex. She tried not to let it bother her. Jake and Emily had known each other a very long time before she ever came along. Of course, they were going to have many experiences and "first times" together.

"He got better after that. Much better. H-O-T, I tell ya, hot!" Emily exclaimed, fanning herself with a hand. She leaned forward to take a big drink from her glass. Heather tried to look anywhere, the floor, the ceiling, whatever it took to not look at Emily, though out of the corner of her eye she saw Emily watching her. She reached down and took another big swallow from her drink and felt the comforting haze of alcohol making the room start to spin slightly. She began to take another big drink.

"What about you, Heather?" Mary gave her a curious stare.

"What about me?" Heather coughed on her swallow of liquor, not sure at first what Mary was asking. She couldn't be really asking her...?

"Your first time, come on." Mary reminded her. "We've all shared our stories."

"I-uh' Heather stammered, blushing. Did she really want to admit the truth? Yeah, twenty seven years old and never had sex.

"She's still a virgin, unless Jake or someone else has fixed that in the past couple of months." Emily blurted out for her as she sat back in her chair, looking triumphant.

There were several glances of surprise around the room. Even Bonnie gave Heather a skeptical look.

Heather still didn't answer, too embarrassed. She knew she was blushing deeply. Her silence answered the question for them.

"I didn't think those still existed," Mimi said as she leaned forward to pick up her drink.

"Maybe Jake's got cold feet," Mary suggested.

No one else knew what had happened to her in New Bern, not even Mary as far as she knew. And she wasn't going to bring that up now. Nor the fact that she and Jake seemed okay with taking things slow. But still, she had her doubts. What it Jake just wasn't as attracted to her as she thought?

"Oh, he never took long to jump into bed with girls before," Emily giggled, her voice higher pitched the more drunk she was. "So I don't think that's what the problem is."

Bonnie gave Mimi a look and signed something quickly at her. Heather knew a little sign language but not well enough to follow what she said. Mimi started to cough as she laid back against the cushions, taking a sip from her glass to cover a laugh. Emily had definitely noticed, however.

"I wouldn't call that a problem," Mary piped up, giving Heather a comforting smile. "Sounds rather sweet to me."

"Did she just sign the word bleach to you?" Emily asked, giving Mimi an accusatory stare. "Or was that something else?"

"Nothing, um," Mimi started. "Bonnie just remembered that I meant to ask Heather if Gail had any bleach left here. We need some out at the farm."

Emily raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"There's nothing wrong with waiting, Heather," Mimi said, turning to look at Heather and lay a reassuring hand on her knee. "I sure as hell wish I had."

"All right, enough about my sex life, or lack there of. I'm just going to take these dishes to the kitchen." Heather exclaimed, grabbing some of the plates off the table as she struggled to her feet. She needed to get out of the room. She felt a little dizzy from the alcohol but kept her balance. "Does anyone else need anything while I'm up?"

"Nah, I'm good," Mary said, sitting up to refill her cup. 

Heather saw Emily passing her own cup to Mary to refill as she left the living room.

Heather nearly dropped the dishes into the sink, her hands were shaking from a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Her pulse was racing and she felt her cheeks, feeling the heat that was still there, but she wasn't sure if it was from blushing or the alcohol.

"Here, I brought more dishes," a voice said from behind her. Mimi set two empty platters on the counter next to Heather. "Don't let her get to you, Heather."

"Who, Emily?" Heather tried to act like nothing had just happened, not wanting to show how much Emily had hurt her, reminding her that she and Jake had yet to go very far in their relationship, at least in regards to sex. Emily and Jake had been together for years, a fact she tried to forget.

"She's just jealous, a little green-eyed monster." Mimi stated, sounding irritated at Emily as well. "Stanley has noticed how different Jake is since you two got together. He said he has never seen Jake so relaxed and content before, even when he was dating Emily. And remember, the two of them dated for nearly ten years and nothing ever came of it."

"Because Jake left." Heather reminded her. She began rinsing the plates she had put in the sink, needing something to do to calm herself down.

"But did he ever call or write to her while he was gone? Hmmm?"

"I don't know." She hadn't heard Jake ever mention that he talked to anyone here at home while he was gone except for his mother.

"If they were so passionately in love, he wouldn't have been gone so long or at least sent her a postcard or called her to say 'Hi, I miss and love you' or something." Mimi commented. 

"Well, her brother had died and they had had big fight. Jake still feels guilty about that to this day." Heather said. She did recall that Jake had shared much about his time away with her, as well as his feelings, things he had never shared with anyone before, not even Emily.

"If he really cared that much, he would have come home or called to make sure she was okay or at least say that he was sorry. Everyone says Jake changed while he was away and he's changed even more since he did come home. Both Jake and Emily are different people now. First loves don't always work out to be forever, despite all the Hollywood movies and romance novels. Trust me on that. So don't let her bother you. We all know how wonderful you are."

"Thanks, Mimi." Heather felt a bit better.

"Don't mention it." Mimi lay a comforting hand on her arm. "Just think about how Jake is going to flip when he sees you in that dress."

Heather smiled back as she dried her hands off on a towel. The bridesmaid dresses had been leftovers from another woman's wedding that never happened, though Heather wondered what kind of wedding that woman had been having. Her dress was more revealing than anything she had ever worn before, with a halter top that barely covered her essentials in front and left her entire back bare all the way to the top of her butt. They had had to take Heather's dress in quite a bit due to her slim figure, as well as hemming the tea-length skirt. But Mimi, Mary and Gail had just stared at her in amazement when she tried on the dress, carrying on about how Jake's eyes were going to pop out of his head when he saw her.

"Mimi, why did Bonnie sign bleach to you in there?" Heather asked, reaching down to open the door to the cupboard under the sink. "Do you really need bleach? We might have a little left."

Mimi smiled mysteriously. "Inside joke. One day when we were working at the clinic washing sheets, I told Bonnie I needed some bleach. This was before I knew sign language and she kept trying to read my lips and thought I was saying 'bitch' instead."

"So Bonnie was calling Emily a-" Heather cut herself off. She rarely swore, even if Emily did probably deserve the name tonight. She tried to think it was just due to the alcohol.

"Bitch? Yeah. If the shoe fits..." Mimi laughed. "But keep that between us."

"Hey, don't let us drink all this booze on our own!" Mary called from the living room.

"Help us, please! Bonnie's gonna drink it all!" Emily threatened loudly.

"We better get back in there." Heather said, tossing the towel on the counter. She started walking out of the kitchen.

"Now go have some more to drink and don't worry about Emily. I got your backside." Mimi told her, following Heather back toward the living room. She whistled appreciatively at Heather's butt. "And it's such a cute backside too."

* * *

The bright light woke him up. Jake blinked as he tried to open his eyes and to avoid looking at the overhead light in the living room. He felt disoriented, still feeling drunk and not quite remembering where he was. They had turned down the lights as it grew later and they drank more. Only the soft end table lamp had still been on. But someone had turned on that blasted bright overhead light. Jake glanced up, finally recalling that he was in Eric and Mary's living room. He saw Mary's familiar figure entering the room.

"Tsk tsk," Mary said, glancing at the sleeping forms of Eric and Stanley sprawled out across the sofa. Eric was softly snoring, half curled up on half of the sofa. Stanley had his head back against the back of the couch, drooling with his mouth hanging open, his feet still propped up on the coffee table. Mary smiled at Jake when she saw that he was awake.

Jake stared at her through slitted eyes. He couldn't quite open his eyes fully yet. The light was pounding into his skull.

"I take it ya'll had a good time?" Mary asked. She picked up one of the empty liquor bottles and looked at him questioningly.

"Heh, you could say that," Jake replied. His mouth felt like it was full of cobwebs. He nodded at his brother. "But that boy of yours still can't hold his liquor."

"Never could," Mary said, setting the bottle back down. The slight sound echoed in his brain.

He stared at Mary trying to wake himself. He wanted to go back to sleep. 

"What time is it?" Jake inquired. He couldn't remember where the clocks were here, not that he could make much out with his blurry vision.

"Just a little after three." 

"Thought you all were spending the night there?" That had been the plan, as Jake had had a feeling that alcohol was probably going to be involved, either there or at this party and made sure they planned ahead.

Mary answered, reaching down to affectionately ruffle Eric's hair as he slept. "I never can fall asleep in a strange bed and decided to come home to sleep in my own."

"Did you girls have a good time?" Jake asked, trying to mentally shake himself more awake. He probably should head home to make sure everything was okay. A year ago, he wouldn't have worried about leaving the women home alone in his house, especially after a night of drinking, but the world had changed.

"Yeah." Mary replied with a sly smile. "But I see we weren't the only ones with a few drinks."

Eric had told him that Mary had taken a bottle of whiskey with her. He tried to imagine Heather drunk, as there was a rumor about her getting drunk once and he had missed it. He was going to have to get her drunk one day just to see what she was like. He had a feeling she would be a happy or silly drunk.

"So where'd did you get the booze? Did Eric find my Top Secret stash?" Mary asked, nodding at the empty scotch bottle on the table.

Jake shook his head. "Nah, I brought it. But don't tell anyone. My mom thinks I quit drinking."

"Your secret's safe with me, Batman," Mary laughed, holding up the other empty bottle which had been sitting on the end table right next to Jake. "Two?"

Jake started working on standing up, not an easy job since he was still partially drunk. He needed more to drink, he told himself, hair of the dog that bit him.

"Whoa there, cowboy, I'm not sure you should be driving." Mary teased him, moving to help keep him upright. Her shoulder was strong and soft beneath his arm. He noticed that Mary was taller than Heather.

"I should get home," Jake mumbled. "Did my mom come home?"

"Yeah, Gail got home in time to see all of us totally sloshed, threatening us if we didn't clean the place up, then making fun of us before going up to bed."

That sounded just like his mom. Shrugging away Mary's offer of support, Jake made a wavering line toward the door, feeling more awake. He was going to have a killer hangover in the morning.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of Sleepy and Snore-y here." Mary nodded at Stanley and Eric. "Oh and Jake?" 

Jake paused in the doorway leading to the stairs to look back at her. He saw two Mary's with his double-vision. "Yeah?"

"Emily crashed in your bed. Bonnie is with Heather and Mimi's on the couch. So not sure where you're going to sleep."

"I'll find somewhere." Jake replied. Though the floor was sounding mighty tempting right now. There was a cot in the spare room that his parents used to use as an office, but he was pretty sure that the room was a mess due to the projects his mom and Heather had been working on lately. Gail had told Heather to let Emily sleep on the couch, have Mimi and Bonnie sleep in Heather's bed and Heather and Mary sleep in his bed. Heather and his mom had cleaned the house in preparation for the party, including putting clean sheets on the beds. He wondered why Emily had ended up in his bed, however. He had been a little worried about having Emily and Heather alone together and wondered if anything had happened or if alcohol had just changed their plans. 

As Jake walked home, he was a bit unsteady in his gait. It was still chilly this morning, an early Sunday morning in June. The nearly full moon was starting to set in the west. Next week at this time, Stanley would be a married man. He wondered what it would feel, waking up in the morning and feeling your wife next to you knowing that she would always be there for you.

When he arrived home, Jake walked around the house as he usually did, checking out the place for any signs of problems. Unlocking the front door, he found a sleeping Mimi passed out on the sofa. The living room was indeed a mess, with empty glasses and an empty whiskey bottle on its side, party favors and silk flowers and other pieces of paper and gift boxes covering the coffee table and floor. Mimi was snoring softly, making Jake chuckle. He saw the plastic covered wedding gown hanging in the doorway to the dining room and it made him pause and reflect for a moment.

Going upstairs, he saw that his mother's bedroom door was shut then checked on Emily and found her curled up in his bed, hugging his pillow as she slept on her stomach as she always used to, her blond hair fanned across the pillow. He shook his head, wondering what Emily had been thinking by choosing to sleep in his bed. Then again, he had given up long ago trying to figure out women. Closing the door behind him, he checked on Heather and found her curled up in her usual pose on her left side as she slept. Moonlight streamed in from the windows and across the bed, making her skin look luminous and soft. He wanted to touch and explore that beautiful skin, but Bonnie was asleep on the other half of the bed. Walking up to Heather, he settled for kissing her softly on the forehead. Pulling off his shoes, he quietly pulled up the nearby armchair next to bed and sat down, propping up his feet on the bed next to Heather. His Heather, he reminded himself, staring at her sleeping peacefully next to him. He picked up her hand and laid it on his thigh, covering it with his hand. Leaning his head against the back of the chair and closing his eyes, an instant later he was asleep.

(To be continued...) 


	21. Chapter 21

Full Circle, Chapter Twenty One

_June 9, 2007_

Jake was going to be late.

He had set his small travel alarm for five a.m., yet by the time the sound of birds calling outside had finally awakened him, the sun was already up and shining through the old glass windows of the cabin. The sun had risen hours ago and he should have been long gone and on his way before sunrise. His mistake had been trusting his old travel clock that he hadn't used it in a long time. The clock still read two forty three a.m when it obviously was not. The batteries in the travel clock had finally died. 

Cursing the entire time, Jake saddled up his horse, hastily packed his belongings and tied them and his rifle to the saddle. Rob Hawkins had left this small cabin early last night since he had a further distance to travel by horseback to a friend's ranch then a long drive taking back roads to where he was staying outside of Cheyenne. Giving the cabin one last check to make sure it looked relatively unused, Jake climbed onto his horse, thanking God he had chosen the five year old gelding for this trip. He would need its endurance and energy to make it home in time. Knowing he had six long hours to travel on horseback, he pointed the horse toward home and nudged him into a fast canter. He was supposed to be at the Richmond's for Stanley's wedding at two o'clock in the afternoon. His clock was dead and he hadn't worn a watch for a long time, so he had no idea what time it really was. By his best guess, looking at the sun, it had to be somewhere between eight and nine o'clock in the morning.

Birds were singing and the morning chill was beginning to fade as the sun warmed the air. He would have enjoyed the peace and calm of the new day more if he wasn't running late. As Jake guided the horse up a steep slope, he looked back at the small hunting cabin by a small lake where he had visited two times already. He and Rob Hawkins had been meeting here to review their progress in their plan to infiltrate the Cheyenne government and catch up on news and make plans for their next steps. Rob had been able to get a job driving truck for a contracting company to the military in Cheyenne. They had yet to catch him working right under their noses, though Rob had altered his appearance slightly by shaving his beard and head. Rob had made quite a few contacts within the government but was having a hard time getting any further without being recognized. After they had caught up on each other's progress, they spent the next couple of days plotting and planning. Rob would often tell him stories from his days working in the CIA and undercover and Jake guessed that the man was taking him under his wing and trying to teach him what he knew during these short visits. Rob gave him tips on reading people and hiding his emotions as well as suggestions for dealing with the military and helping bring down the gangs around Jericho. He appreciated the older man's wisdom and skill, but he wasn't sure he'd ever have the patience to be so cunning and careful like Hawkins. It also worried him to be working with Rob, especially after Colonel Hoffman had told him that Robert Hawkins hadn't existed in the CIA database either. Jake found his trust of Rob wavering, but decided to wait and see what happened. With the news they had been hearing from the ham radio network Ted and some of his friends had set up, Jake was leaning toward trusting his gut feeling and sticking with Rob. 

The conflict between the Cheyenne and East governments was still ongoing and not looking any better as both sides vied for control of the United States as well as for international support. In the past weeks, the East government was rumored to be gathering its military and starting to move west to retake territory and military assets around the Mississippi River, especially since much of the Midwest had been unaffected by the bombs. There was a huge push to claim farmable land now since many of the major cities and surrounding areas had been affected by radiation. Unfortunately, Nebraska and Kansas were right in the middle of all of it, with a good majority of both states in good shape after the bombs. Farmland like they had in Jericho was becoming a hot commodity and he knew they had been fortunate to avoid much attention thus far. The attack from New Bern had been the first and hopefully the last. Jake wasn't sure what would happen if the military pulled out, however.

Sighing, Jake decided to stop worrying about his work with Hawkins and the rest of the country and think about Jericho and home instead. Heather would be at the wedding waiting for him to arrive. He missed her on these trips and hadn't realized how he quickly he had grown use to being with her until they were apart like this. He often found himself daydreaming about her when he should have been paying attention to what Rob was saying. Heather had been looking forward to the wedding and being a bridesmaid. She had been helping Mimi, Mary and his mother with the wedding plans, homemade flower arrangements and more. The wedding was supposed to be small and simple and held outdoors at the Richmond farm, yet the women had still found a way to make it into a major occasion. After all that had happened in the past nine months, he had to admit that it would be nice to have a normal celebration for once. Even better yet, to be able to see his best friend Stanley finally getting married. Plus, he was looking forward to seeing Heather in her bridesmaid's dress after being dropped teasing hints for the past weeks of how great Heather looked in it. 

Jake had woken up last Sunday after Stanley's bachelor party with the hangover from hell, his head pounding and body complaining bitterly at the abuse. He was getting too old to be drinking that much he realized belatedly. The only blessing had been that he had been in Heather's bed and her familiar scent had given him a small measure of comfort. The downside was that he had been alone in her bed. He remembered falling asleep by her side, her hand in his, but didn't remember getting moved into the bed by Heather when she awoke in the morning as she told him later. By the time he had gotten up and showered, Emily, Mimi and Bonnie had already left the house after spending the night at the Green house. Heather had been a bit hungover as well, so his mother had made it a point to make as much noise as possible in the house all day, blasting the stereo and running the vacuum until both he and Heather had retreated to the ranch and spent the afternoon reading and napping on a blanket out in the sun. Heather had only said that her own party had been a lot of fun, though she had hesitated before answering him on how Emily had been, only saying that everything had been fine. He had a feeling that something had happened, but hadn't been able to get her talk about it. His best guess was that Heather was annoyed that Emily had wanted to sleep in his bedroom rather than on the couch as planned, thus disrupting his mother's and Heather's carefully made plans of where everyone was supposed to sleep that night. At least, he hoped that was all there was.

Heather had walked with him out to the outpost on Monday to finally give Colonel Hoffman her wind turbine design. He had tried to not beam too proudly as the colonel and one of his technical soldiers had gone over the design with her. He had wished he could let them know that Heather was his girlfriend. When he arrived back at the outpost after walking Heather to the plant, Lt. Robbins had coincidentally asked him if he had any romantic attachments that would prevent him from working up in Cheyenne if needed. Reluctantly, he had had to admit that he did not, though they did ask him about Heather and he had had to tell them that she was like a kid sister to him. That had led to several jokes between the soldiers taking bets on who would be the first to ask Heather out now that they knew she was indeed available, which had infuriated him. He had often heard the soldiers talking about some of the women in Jericho, but this had been the first time they had added Heather to their list of interests. And he could do nothing about it, which only made him more frustrated.

His bad mood had persisted as he spent the rest of Monday working at the military outpost going over reports about Jonah Prowse and trying to figure out how they were going to stop him. They had cleaned up many of the gangs so far, but he knew they were going to have to do something about Jonah soon. They knew that Jonah had a lot of firepower and men, so Jake had been hoping to get inside his organization again and slowly whittle it down from the inside instead of having to take it out by force. He hadn't had much success at that thus far, as Jonah was refusing to talk to him when he went out to see him. 

The rest of the week, Jake was supposed to have worked on the Richmond farm, helping prepare for the wedding. But when he had gone out to the ranch Tuesday morning to take care of the horses, he had found the red handkerchief tied to the barn door, the signal from Rob Hawkins that it was time to pay a visit to their meeting spot. Trying his best to ignore the disappointed and worried looks from both his mom and Heather, he had reluctantly packed up and headed up here, telling Rob he needed to leave early this morning. He had hoped to get back in time to help with the wedding set up and to see Heather before he had to share her attention with the rest of the wedding. Now he was going to be lucky if it made it in time for the wedding.

Jake's thoughts strayed to the town charter and the amazing progress they had made on his idea over the past weeks. He hadn't even been sure the charter would work, but the weeks of research and gathering input from as many people as possible had paid off. Last week, Eric and Gray Anderson had finally gotten a final draft of the town charter reviewed and approved by the town council and the committee they had put together. They had been mentioning the charter for the past month at each weekly town hall meeting and had been hosting meetings at the high school for questions and answers as well as input into the types of services and units of work they would be tracking. They had had fairly good attendance and participation at the sessions, though he had yet to see some people there, such as Dale Turner and some of the farmers and it worried him. Maybe more had come to this week's meeting, though he had had to miss it due to his trip. They were working on printing out copies of the final draft and the measurement system to be posted outside of City Hall and at the schools and were strongly encouraging everyone to come and read it. A final meeting about the charter was scheduled for next week's town hall meeting and the town vote on it for the week after that. Jake felt his anxiety growing the closer it came to the vote, unsure if people would actually finally accept the charter and give it a chance. 

Several hours of hard and fast riding passed. It was a beautiful late spring day and would be a great day for a wedding...if he got there in time. He used to always be late in the past, he recalled. He didn't want to let people down yet again. He was too self-conscious of it nowadays since he was trying so hard to do the right things. He had at least another hour to go before he got to the outskirts of Jericho. Then he'd still need to get home, shower, shave and change, then hurry out to the Richmond ranch. He patted his horse on the shoulder, feeling the lather of its sweat. He had kept to a slow canter most of the way so far, slowing down occasionally to let the gelding cool off a bit or when traveling over rough terrain. He would need to give the horse a good cool out walk and rub down when he got back, not to mention several days rest.

The sound of a crying baby echoed in the distance then stopped.

"Whoa!" Jake pulled on the reins and the horse loped down to a stop. The gelding paced a few steps and snorted at the abrupt command but quieted down enough for Jake to listen. The cries started again. 

Jake steered his horse toward where he thought he heard the sound. He saw the clearing of trees and ribbon of road of what was likely State Route 25 as it faded into the horizon. As he drew near the state road, he saw two vehicles stopped just off the road. One of the vehicles looked to be an old military truck. The other was a 1970's model pickup truck with wooden side rails on the bed. The back of the pickup truck appeared to be loaded but partially covered by a tarp. The pickup looked like it had been driven off the road by the military truck. He thought he saw people standing near the front of the pickup but couldn't make out who they were or what they were doing.

Jake guided his horse closer, using the trees and hills for cover. As he drew close, he dismounted and tied the gelding to a tree, grabbing his rifle and the semi-automatic pistol that Hawkins had given him. He pulled several ammo clips out of his duffel bag, stuffed them in a pocket and slowly crept up to the road near where he had seen the two trucks.

From fifty yards away, he was able to see what was going on. On the other side of the road from where he stood, one man held a young family at gunpoint at the front of the trucks while another was going through whatever was in the back of the pickup truck. Clothes, boxes and other materials lay scattered across the ground as they were tossed out. A young man stood with his hands partially raised near the driver's side door of the truck and a young woman stood near the front of the pickup. The woman had long brown hair held back from her face in a braid. She looked barely old enough to be out of high school and looked thin, wearing clothes that looked too big for her. She held an infant in her arms and was trying to comfort another small child against her leg. Jake figured they were husband and wife. He heard the baby wailing and saw the woman trying to hush the infant. He didn't recognize the family but he knew the two men: Bobby O'Neil and Trace Winters, Jonah's men. He could only see Bobby's capped head as he worked in the back of the truck. He definitely recognized Trace. The long haired, bearded blond man didn't look very different from the last time Jake had seen him. Trace's distinguishing features were the many tattoos on his arms, chest and back, most of them visible due to the usual wife beater shirt he wore.

"Keep that brat quiet or I will shoot him," Jake heard Trace say to the woman. Trace had the rifle aimed at the man, who looked terrified. Trace shouted at the young man. "And not another word out of you or you'll be the second one I shoot!"

Jake was pretty sure that was a bluff, though Trace wasn't above shooting anyone if he felt like it. But even Trace knew to follow orders and unless that had changed recently, Jake knew that Jonah had ordered his men to not kill anyone unless absolutely necessary. Murdering people on the roads usually attracted a lot of attention, especially from the military. Indeed, most of the gangs Jake and the military had taken out first were the ones known for killing people or kidnapping women and children for slave trading. 

"Hurry it up back there, Bobby." Trace quickly glanced down the road in both directions. There was no sign of any one else on the road. Jake wondered if they had another crew with them or if they were on their own.

Bobby was going through what appeared to be the family's meager belongings in the back of the pickup. Jake knew both of the men from back when he worked for Jonah. Bobby was not that bad of a guy but just could never get his head screwed on straight. He knew Bobby had a young wife and two kids of his own and lived in a small house on the outskirts of Jericho. Trace Winters was bad to the bone and had been since high school, dropping out at sixteen and working for Jonah ever since. He was one of the few people Jonah would send to do the dirty jobs no one else wanted. Worse yet, Trace seemed to enjoy doing them, especially threatening and scaring people and making their lives hell when they refused to cooperate. The man had a rap sheet a mile long and had been in prison as much as he had been out of it. 

Jake tried to be surprised to find them operating alone in broad daylight like this, but knew this was not one of the main roads. The military had scaled back its patrols of the roads lately, claiming their resources were needed elsewhere. Thus, they had Jake working to help put a stop to these organized groups like Jonah's. Unfortunately, Jonah had only stepped up his operations more, especially since he had less competition with Jake and the military taking out some of the other gangs in the area. 

He knew that he needed to save this family but paused to think about it first. The old Jake would have run in there half-cocked to save the family, trying to use surprise in his favor. But he had promised Heather that he would be more careful and think things through and he was going to do just that. 

Jake circled back and forth checking out the area around the two vehicles. The area was pretty flat and open beyond the line of trees that now hid him. He didn't see any backup for Jonah's men or else they were hiding too far away. Maybe Trace and Bobby had just been passing through and had been fortunate to catch this family on their way down the road. He carefully studied the landscape around the trucks. There were ditches on both sides of the road and some brush and overgrowth that could give him cover. He made note of the gravel on the shoulder of the road surrounding both trucks. Gravel would be noisy to walk on as well as difficult to run or crawl on. He was pretty sure that Trace couldn't see the back of the pickup and he decided to use that to his advantage. Making a quick plan, Jake considered it carefully, recalling Rob Hawkins' advice to always have a couple contingency plans in case something went wrong. He didn't want to have to shoot anyone but if it came to that, he would. He took his rifle back to his horse, choosing to keep his pistol. It took Jake several minutes to crawl up behind the trucks, hiding in the ditch alongside the road. The trucks blocked his view most of the time and Trace was out of sight with the pickup truck in the way. Bobby was too busy digging through the family's belongings to notice. The baby continued to cry and as he drew closer, Jake could hear the mother's voice as she attempted to quiet the infant. Fortunately, the crying would probably cover the sound of Jake's footsteps as he crept up to the back of the pickup.

A minute later, as he leaned over to toss another box off the truck, Bobby O'Neil discovered the barrel of a pistol aimed at his face. 

"Don't move or say a thing or I will shoot," Jake threatened in a quiet, serious voice. 

As his head jerked up, Bobby's old John Deere cap went flying off. Bobby's hair had been growing gray since the last time Jake had seen him. He froze when he saw Jake. Jake noticed that the man looked flushed from his rushed digging through the family's belongings. 

"Give me your gun." Jake ordered in a hushed voice. Bobby pulled a gun out of the waistband of his jeans and handed it over. "Now lay down slowly on the bed of the truck, hands on your head."

"How's it going back there, Bobby?" Trace called from the front of the truck. 

Jake saw that there was a small pile of belongings on the ground that Bobby had been building. There were several jewelry boxes, a tool box, several cans of gasoline and several boxes of food and jugs of water. There was also a small coil of rope, gas lamps, flashlights and batteries. All of the goods were worth something and what a young family needed to survive nowadays. When Bobby laid down, Jake did a quick touch search of the man, checking for knives or guns. A minute later, he had Bobby tied up with the rope and gagged with an old shirt. He pushed Bobby up under the tarp that had been across the back of the truck and positioned several boxes around him, hoping to keep him from quickly rolling off the back of the truck and alerting Trace. Now, he had deal with Trace without anyone getting hurt.

"Bobby, I don't see much happenin' back there. You'd better be finding some good stuff or Jonah will have our hides if we come back empty handed this time."

Jake slid along the far side of the truck. He felt and heard Bobby trying to kick the truck and yell beneath the gag in an attempt to get Trace's attention. Fortunately, the baby was still crying enough to cover the sounds. Daring a glance through the cab of the truck, Jake saw Trace inching his way around the other side of the truck, still holding the rifle at the man and woman, but trying to get a better view of the back of the truck.

"Bobby? Where the hell are you?" 

Jake saw Trace do a double take at the back of the truck. Jake used his momentary lapse in attention to grab the woman and her children back onto his side of the truck, covering her mouth to keep her from screaming. She trembled in his arms. The infant was still wailing and the other child stared up at him with big, terrified eyes. 

"I'm here to help," he whispered in her ear. "I need you to get down and crawl under the truck, understand?" 

The woman nodded and started climbing under the truck. There was enough room for her to lay flat with the infant at her side. The child followed her, hiding behind a tire. She began hushing the baby again and miraculously, the baby finally stopped crying. There was a calm stillness in the air as everything went quiet. Jake heard his own breathing, adrenaline making his mind race a mile a minute. Jake slowly stood up, using the truck for cover and holding his pistol ready in case Trace did something stupid. 

"What the hell are you-" Through the cab of the truck, Jake saw Trace look up and notice that the woman and children were now gone. He asked the young man, panic evident in his voice. "Where'd she go?!" 

Trace started heading back toward his original position, walking sideways. The truck was shaking and Jake could hear Bobby kicking against the floor of the bed of the truck. The noise covered Jake's footsteps when he began to move. When Trace came around to the front of the truck again, Jake sped around the opposite way, around the back of the truck to the far side and caught Trace with the rifle slightly lowered. It was hard to walk and keep a rifle targeted especially when your attention was split.

"Drop the gun, Trace." Jake pointed his gun at the side of the man's head and turned the safety off with a noticeable click.

Trace paused for a long moment, chuckling. His rifle was still in a position that he could hurry up and shoot the young man in front of him. Jake didn't really want to shoot Trace in front of the family. Then he saw Trace tense up and knew this wasn't going to go easy. Unsure of what Trace was going to do, Jake hesitated and Trace whipped the rifle around at Jake, swinging it like a club and jabbing back with his elbow at the same time, hoping to catch Jake off balance. Jake had been ready, standing on the balls of his feet and ready to move. He pulled his body back and stopped the barrel of the rifle mid-swing with his free hand. Clicking the safety back on, he used his own gun to give Trace a hard crack on the side of the head. Trace fell sideways, off balance but trying to get to his feet again. Jake kicked him in the ribs and Trace collapsed backwards onto his back. 

Jake stood on the rifle as it lay on the ground, Trace's hand still caught under it. He saw flecks of blood from Trace's hand being torn against the gravel. He aimed his pistol directly at Trace's face and clicked off the safety again. "Want to try that again so I can shoot you this time?"

"Jake Green," Trace grinned up at him. "I heard you'd gone back to the light side, but didn't believe it."

"Who said I did?" Jake asked. He didn't want Jonah hearing that he was working against him, not yet. He had kept his involvement with the military and bringing down the other gangs fairly quiet thus far. "I just know this couple, old friend of the family's. I don't want anything to happen to them. If I had really gone good, you'd be dead by now."

"Uh huh," Trace said, not sounding all that convinced, though Jake knew he was good at play acting and using it to catch someone off guard. Trace raised one hand slowly until Jake threatened him with his gun again. Instead, the man wiped the blood from his ear from where the gun had hit him. Trace had a smug expression on his face, one he used to wear when he knew he had the upper hand. 

Jake stepped hard on the man's diaphragm, letting him know he meant business. Trace groaned with pain as his breath was knocked out of him. Jake used the lapse of attention to yank the rifle away from him and tossed it on the ground in front of the young man. Jake felt the adrenaline still pulsing within him, his heart still racing. He took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"You're not going to kill him, are you?" The young man asked, his eyes still full of fear. 

"I should," Jake said. "But I won't. Grab some of the rope and bring it here." 

The young man stared wide-eye at Jake, still in shock. Now that Jake was close enough to get a good look at him, the man didn't appear to be that old, probably in his early twenties by his best guess. He had sandy blond hair and freckles, reminding him vaguely of Stanley. He wondered if he was another of Stanley's distant relatives. He knew he had a ton of them. But why had this young man risked his family on the roads and where was he heading?

"Please?" Jake asked again and the young man finally moved.

A minute later, with the young man's help, Jake had Trace and Bobby tied to a tree fifty yards from the road. He gagged them as well, not wanting to hear Trace's taunts. The woman and children had come out from under the truck and had collapsed together with the father, all crying together. He helped the family reload their truck and raided the military truck and gave the tanks of gasoline he found there to the young family. There were other goods there, likely from what the two had scavenged so far on this trip, but Jake left them alone only keeping one knife, Bobby's handgun and a rifle. Jake planned on keeping the rifle as a subtle message to Jonah, not wanting to take anything more than the guns and gas. Jonah was going to be suspicious enough when he learned that he had helped this family. The couple climbed back into the truck with the children. Both of them looked grateful and relieved. Jake made sure the handgun was loaded and handed it to the young man through the window.

"Thank you" the man told him as he placed the handgun on the seat next to him. He started the truck and checked the gas gauge. They had re-filled the gas tank of his truck with some of the gas from the military truck. "Full tank again. Do you need a ride somewhere?"

"Nah, my horse is just over there a ways," Jake casually nodded behind him.

"Just our luck that you happened to be in the area." The young man said, shaking his head in amazement, then giving Jake a large smile. "I don't know if I can ever thank you enough for saving us. You're a hero."

Jake just nodded, still uncomfortable with the hero status that he seemed to keep earning. He didn't recognize this family and was pretty sure they weren't from Jericho. "Where are you from?" 

The man sighed. "New Bern. It's hell there so the military finally let us go, saying there would be jobs for us in Cheyenne. But they weren't going to let us bring most of our belongings so we decided to make the trip on our own. Guess it was a bad idea, though we heard the roads were safe."

"Not entirely, it's still pretty dangerous." Jake knew the military was still patrolling the roads, but this one was less traveled and probably didn't get as much attention leaving it open for thugs like Jonah and others to still prey on the lone travelers who used it.

"Name's Brent Harris and this is my wife, Kristine." The young man introduced himself and nodded at his wife, who continued to stare at Jake. "You're that Jake Green, aren't you? Johnston Green's son? From Jericho?" 

"Yeah." He was forever going to be known as Johnston's Green son. Years ago, that had always bothered him. Now, he was proud of it. But the reminder of his father hit him hard. Looking away, Jake stared down at the knife he had kept from the military truck. How quickly their world had succumbed to violence, he realized. He glanced up to see the woman looking at him with wide eyes as she held the infant against her chest. Both children had quieted down now that their parents had calmed down, but the woman looked alarmed again. He realized what he was still holding in his hand. He lowered the knife out of their view.

The young man looked up at him. "We heard what they did to Jericho and your father. I'm really sorry."

"Thank you," Jake replied, the grief and memories coming back to him. In his mind, he saw his father bleeding and dying on the table and telling him how proud he was of him. He often found himself thinking about his father and wishing he was still around so he could see how much Jake had changed, especially in the past several months.

The young man continued. "When the military came, they told us all in a big meeting in the square what had really happened. We had no idea what Constantino was really up to. He had whipped all the men into a fervor and got them to come and attack you for trying to destroy the factory and backing out of the agreement to give us food. People were starving and desperate and Constantino kept the crime down. People were wiling to believe anything at that point. Most of us didn't know what really going on until the military told us the truth about how he had been planning to attack you all along. And now everyone is too afraid of it happening again and no one is willing to step up and take charge to keep the town together."

"Is Constantino still there?" Jake asked. He was worried that the military might still let Constantino go. He had seen many crimes get overlooked by the military simply because they didn't have the manpower or will to do anything about them. He had heard that many of those from the organized gangs they took out were taken up to Wyoming somewhere to work in prison camps, but he had no way of verifying that. He wondered if they would do the same to Constantino. "I heard they had him under house arrest."

The man shook his head. "No, the military transferred him and his deputies up to Cheyenne a few weeks ago."

That was news to Jake. Colonel Hoffman hadn't told him that.

"They told the new acting mayor that the sheriff was going to be tried for his crimes," the man added. "I think the entire town breathed a sigh of relief to see him and his thugs gone. But the new mayor isn't doing so well, especially now that the military pulled out a lot of their troops. There's no food, no police and little organization. People are killing and stealing from each other again. I had to get out of there."

Jake nodded, understanding how terrifying that had probably been especially for a man with a young family. They were still turning people away from coming into Jericho, not having any more room or food to spare for refugees. Again, he was thankful that Jericho was mostly calm and peaceful. They had his father to thank for that. Maybe if his charter worked out, they could take in more people, however. He had mentioned that idea to Heather.

Heather. She and the rest of the wedding would be waiting for him. Panic at his lateness filled him again. The young man was wearing a watch. Jake asked him. "What time is it?"

The man glanced at his watch. "12:30, time for lunch if you'd like something to eat. We have enough to share." He nodded at the small cooler on the floor of the cab at his wife's feet.

"Nah, I'm good and running very, very late." Jake groaned, running a hand through his hair. He was going to be very late for the wedding now. He needed to get going.

"Are you sure we can't give you a ride somewhere? Jericho is not far from here."

"I'm sure," Jake replied. He couldn't leave his horse here, even as tempting as it was to just get to Jericho and come back for the horse later. Besides, this family needed to get down the road as far as possible and out of the area of Jonah's usual stomping grounds. He considered taking them to Jericho, but he was sure that Colonel Hoffman would just send them back to New Bern and Gray would go ballistic if they took in any more refugees. Their best bet was to try and make it to Cheyenne. 

"Look, just keep following this road north," Jake instructed the young man. "When you get to Atwood, tell them you're just passing through on the way to Cheyenne and they should leave you alone. If not, give them a tank of the gas and they should let you through. Once you get to State Route 34 in Nebraska, head east to McCook. There's a military outpost there under a Lieutenant Goldman. Let them know what happened and see if they can escort you the rest of the way to Cheyenne. Do not stop for anyone or anything until you get to the outpost, even if someone looks like they need help. Don't trust any military unless they have at least five trucks or more. Shoot at anyone who tries to slow you down or stop you. Understand?"

The man nodded, looking afraid again. He held out his hand and Jake shook it. "Thank you again." 

"Good luck." Jake watched the truck disappear in the distance. He picked up the rifle he had kept and Bobby's old cap.

Sighing, he looked back at the trees where he had Bobby and Trace tied up to the same tree. Playing with the knife in his hands, he walked over and planted the knife in the ground between their legs. It would take them awhile, but with a little teamwork, they should eventually be able to get to the knife and cut through the ropes. If not, he hadn't tied Bobby's hands as tight as he could have. By the time they got free, he would be long gone. Jake tossed Bobby's old cap on the ground at Bobby's feet. He knew that Bobby always wore that hat everywhere. 

Trace tried to say something in protest, but his voice was muffled by the gag. Bobby just stared solemnly at him.

"Tell Jonah I said hello when you see him," Jake told them. He gave them a half salute and walked away, grinning.

His horse had had a bit a rest by the time Jake got back to him and mounted up. After securing the second rifle to the saddle, he kicked the gelding into a fast canter again as he headed toward Jericho. He was going to be even more late to the wedding now. But he knew Heather would be proud of him for helping rescue this family. Maybe she even knew them. At least he had a good excuse now for being late other than oversleeping. It felt good to do the right thing and save the family. And he had found out more about New Bern and Constantino and considered that he might be able to use Bobby O'Neil to help with Jonah. Bobby had always been a weak link, wavering between helping Jonah and trying to hold down odd jobs around town in order to take care of his family. Since the bombs, Bobby had probably found it easier to stick with Jonah. An idea began developing in his mind and kept him preoccupied for the rest of the ride back home.

(To be continued...) 


	22. Chapter 22

Full Circle, Chapter Twenty Two

Saturday, June 9, 2007 had dawned a beautiful day in Jericho, Kansas. Not a cloud was in the sky and it had warmed up nicely for a late spring day. Birds were singing and the smell of lilacs and freshly cut grass perfumed the air. It was sometimes hard to believe that just over nine months ago, the United States of America had suffered the largest nuclear attack in history. From the little bit of news they did hear in Jericho, chaos still reigned in much of the country as people struggled to survive and the military and governments tried to maintain order and restore life to normal. But it was still going to take time. Jericho, Kansas had been largely unaffected by the physical affects of the attacks, but just the reality of day to day living, without much outside assistance and relying on their own resources to get through each day, was enough of a reminder of the devastation the country was facing.

As she stood waiting at the Richmond farm, Heather reflected on how much life had changed in the past nine months. As she often did, she tried to think of how life had been a hundred years ago when they didn't have many outside resources to rely on. If their ancestors had gotten through it, then so could they. At least they had food and land as well as a community that was still working together. And they had come together this week to try to make something as special as a wedding as normal as possible. Several months ago, a giant battle had taken place on this farm. Now, the happy occasion of a wedding was about to take place.

A small crowd had gathered at the Richmond ranch to witness and celebrate the marriage of Stanley Richmond to Jericho newcomer Mimi Clark. Heather had been delighted when Mimi had asked her to be a bridesmaid for their wedding. She and the rest of the women, including Gail, Mary, Bonnie and several other women from town, had been busy all morning decorating and finishing the last minute preparations for the wedding while the men set up the chairs, tables, and lights. Several of Stanley's younger cousins had set up the stereo and speakers on the porch. They had spent most of the week getting ready for this big day, with cleaning, cooking and preparing the flowers and other decorations. Even Emily had showed up to help for the past couple of days, assisting with the flowers, cooking and last minute dress alterations. In the front of the guest chairs stood a white trellis they had decorated with ivy, fresh lilac blossom branches and other flowers. A peaceful view of the farm behind the trellis, complete with groves of fruit trees and the green hay fields and pastures, offered a beautiful setting for the ceremony. Folding chairs from the church had been set up facing the trellis on the grass in the shade of the big maple tree on the side of the house. Only about fifty people had been invited to the wedding, mostly Stanley's relatives and a few of his old friends.

Everything was ready and everyone had arrived, except for the best man. Jake was missing. He had left early Wednesday morning on one of his trips, promising he would be back in time. They had yet to see him even though it was past the time for the wedding to start. Despite the cool breeze, it was growing hot and many of the men were wearing suits and people were starting to look impatient. The mother of the flower girl had her hands full keeping the young girl from wrinkling her dress.

The normally good-natured and easy-going groom, Stanley, was a nervous wreck, made only worse by the still-missing best man. They had Mimi secluded upstairs in the house, who looked ravishing in her white wedding dress that one of the women had made for her. Bonnie, Mimi's maid of honor, was busy trying to keep her soon-to-be sister-in-law calm. Sean Henthorn and two of Stanley's cousins served as ushers escorting people to the seats. Unlike a traditional wedding where the groom's friends and family sat on one side and the bride's on the other, they were seating people equally on both sides, seeing as Mimi had no family in town and most of her friends were already in the wedding. Emily had arrived with Lieutenant Williams, who was dressed in a dark green dress military uniform and created a slight stir when he arrived. Despite limiting the wedding invitations to only about fifty people, Eric had convinced Stanley that it would be good idea to invite someone from the military, even though many in town, including Mayor Anderson and the deputies, had not been invited.

The string quartet was seated underneath the maple tree softly playing music. All the guests were finally seated, the young and the old and everyone in between. People kept looking back toward the house expectantly for things to begin. It was almost two thirty and the wedding guests were getting restless. Gail had already started the rumor that the bride was getting cold feet and needing a little more time, but that excuse wasn't going to last long. Most people knew what they were really waiting on, or rather who.

If only they had the best man.

Heather heard the whispers that Jake had often been late in the past and used to be unreliable. The residents of Jericho had long memories of Jake and his troubled past. She had frowned and tried to not let it bother her. She knew that Jake was no longer that person and likely had a good reason for being late, though she still didn't know what he was actually doing when he went away on his trips. It had been the one thing he hadn't been open with her about. They had told people that he was off doing work for the military. She tried to not worry that maybe something bad had happened. Jake was just running late, she kept telling herself.

In normal times, they could have called Jake on a cell phone or he would have called home and left a message. These were not normal times and the phone lines were still not working since the EMP had wiped out the local phone switch equipment. Heather was trying not to worry herself to death that he hadn't shown up yet. She missed him terribly when he went on these trips and was amazed at how quickly she had gotten used to being close with him. She wished he had been here the past several days for comfort and emotional support. There had been a lot of stress preparing for the wedding, not to mention the ongoing tension between her and Emily. She had tried to just ignore Emily's behavior at the party last week, chalking it up to too much alcohol. So she had been cordial to Emily the past few days as they prepared for the wedding.

"Damn it, Jake!" Stanley paced back and forth on the porch on the backside of the house, out of view of the wedding guests. He asked again. "Where the hell is he?"

Mary, Eric and Heather stood with him, sharing his anxiety. His cousin Richie stood off the porch, keeping watch in the direction of the long driveway leading up to the house. Stanley wore a gray suit, a few lighter shades than those of the groomsmen, though most of them didn't quite match. They didn't have any tuxedo rental places in Jericho so they had had to make do. Gail had pressed and left out Jake's suit in his bedroom this morning. They had been able to find matching ties, however, as they all wore a pale purple tie that almost matched the bridesmaid dresses. Inspired by the color of the bridesmaids dresses and the lilacs that grew along side the Richmond house, Mimi had chosen lilac as her wedding color and they had all done their best, with their limited resources, to decorate and dress accordingly.

"I don't know," Eric answered. "He said he'd be back."

"Yeah, but he said he'd be back this morning!" Stanley yelled, his voice distraught. He glanced at the back door and started heading toward it. "I'm gonna go check on Mimi and see what she wants to do."

Mary caught Stanley by the arm before he could walk past her. "Oh no you don't!"

They had been successful at keeping the bride and groom from seeing each other all morning, not that it was an easy task, especially when Mimi had had a last minute panic attack and had started racing through the house thinking she had lost her shoes or her mind, or maybe both.

Eric stepped in front of Stanley, blocking the door.

Fortunately, Gail quickly walked up from the front of the house. She looked lovely in a beautiful light blue dress. But she had a motherly look of concern on her face.

"No sign of him?" Eric asked his mother. Gail shook her head.

Emily and Lt. Williams trailed behind Gail. Emily was wearing a beautiful floral pattern sundress that hugged her slim figure and left her tanned shoulders and arms bare. Heather saw that Emily looked worried as well.

"Maybe we should send some people out to look for him," Emily suggested. "Does the border patrol know to look for him?"

"Yeah, I sent a message down to them an hour ago." Stanley replied, shrugging out of Mary's grasp to walk to the edge of the porch and stare in the direction of the driveway.

"I've radioed the military roadblocks to keep an eye out." Lt. Williams told them. Heather had seen him talking on a small hand-held walkie talkie several times since he had arrived . "But you said he went on horseback?"

"Yeah," Eric nodded but looked uncomfortable. "He said he'd be back this morning at the latest. Maybe something came up."

Heather tried to not look too upset in front of the lieutenant, not entirely sure what Jake had told the military about what he was doing on these trips. Jake had only told them he was doing some scouting outside of Jericho, but Heather had gotten to know Jake enough to know when he wasn't being entirely truthful. She worried that Jake was involved in something else, something beyond the work he was doing for the military, especially since he refused to talk about it with her. In the shade of the porch, she shivered as a chill went through her and she wasn't entirely sure it was due to being cold. Though her dress matched the ones worn by Bonnie and Mary, it was a bit more revealing than what she was used to. It was a beautiful lilac chiffon dress with a halter top that left her back bare and was form-fitting in the front, barely covering her bust. She kept having to check herself to make sure nothing important fell out, especially when she bent over. She tried to cover her anxiety by checking her hair, making sure that it still securely pinned with the flowers all in place. The lilacs in her hair matched the color of her dress. She was nervous at what Jake would think when he saw her dressed up like this, if he actually ever showed up to see her in it.

Stanley began pacing again, walking up and down the short distance of the back part of the porch.

Sighing to herself, Heather glanced over at the card table where they had set up their last minute flower arrangements, including the flower girl's basket, their bouquets and the boutonnieres for the men. The rings sat in a small gift box, a matching set that had belonged to Stanley's parents and had been cleaned and refitted for the Stanley and Mimi. There was one boutonniere remaining on the table, Jake's.

"The musicians have already played through their song list twice They are going to need a break if we wait much longer." Emily said.

"What are we going to do?" Stanley asked, pausing in his pacing long enough to look at each of them in turn.

Heather didn't meet his eyes. Mary shrugged. Eric looked uncomfortable, but looked at his mother for guidance.

"Eric will just have to fill in as best man instead." Gail decided, picking up the rings and handing them to Eric. "Heather, go upstairs and let Bonnie know we're ready. Emily, go find Tiffany and have her send Caitlin back here for her flowers so we can get started. Lieutenant Williams, can you let Reverend Thomas we're going to start?"

Lt. Williams nodded and took Emily by the elbow to escort her back toward the front of the house.

Heather sighed, trying to not to worry any more than she already was. In her mind, she saw Jake dead or wounded on the side of the road somewhere, though she knew that he had gone on horseback. What if he was injured alone somewhere where they wouldn't be able to find him? What if his horse came back to the barn without its rider? Heather gulped down a wave of panic. As she walked around to the front of the house, she saw Lt. Williams walking up to talk to Reverend Thomas as Emily crouched down near the flower girl to talk to the mother. Heather gave the wedding guests one last worried glance before walking toward the open front door. For the wedding, they had removed the front door and its screen door in preparation for Mimi to walk through the door. Heather's heeled shoes tapped across the wood of the porch. The echo of her shoes sounded against the house before the sound was overtaken by another pounding sound...hoof beats racing up the road. Just inside the door, she turned back to look outside. In the distance, she saw a moving cloud of dust out in the driveway leading up to the ranch. Most of the wedding guests turned to look.

Jake came galloping up on his horse, dressed in a suit and clean-shaven but looking tired and rushed, his hair looking wind-dried. Heather tried not to smile at how odd he looked in a suit riding a horse, but was relieved that he was okay. He pulled up the horse with a load "Whoa!" before it ran into the porch railing. The horse was drenched with lather all up and down his neck, from its withers and down its shoulders and chest. It was breathing hard and frothing at the mouth as it chomped excitedly on the bit and paced a few steps as if not realizing it had finally stopped. Jumping down from the horse, Jake glanced around him but didn't see her standing inside the house. Stanley, Eric, Mary and his mother stepped up from around the corner of the house to meet him.

"Thank God!" Gail said loudly, sounding as relieved as Heather felt.

"Sorry I'm late." He climbed the few steps up onto the porch and kissed his mother on the cheek as he gave her a half-hug. He turned to Stanley who looked torn between relief and wanting to strangle his friend. "I really had something come up."

Eric clapped his brother on the shoulder. "We were about to send a rescue party out after you."

"Heather, get the blushing bride and let's get this show on the road before the guests pass out." Gail called through the doorway. "Let me go find a brush for your hair, you look like a wild man."

Jake looked through the open door and saw her. His jaw dropped. Heather suddenly felt self-conscious in her dress, but the look in Jake's eyes made it totally worth it. She couldn't help but to smile at Jake's expression. She felt her cheeks growing warm with her usual blush but made eye contact with Jake, lost in watching him as he stared at her in awe. She found it hard to breathe.

"Jake," she vaguely heard Eric call. "Jake!?"

Jake finally shook his head, breaking the spell. He glanced at his brother quickly, his eyes barely leaving her. "Yeah?"

"Go walk your horse or get someone to do it for you." Eric ordered, his voice resonating with disapproval. "And why in hell didn't you just drive over?"

"Didn't wanna use the gas." Jake said, his voice distant. He was still staring at her, transfixed.

As Heather recalled, Jake's car was almost out of gas and they were trying to save the little gas they did have for emergencies. They had used horse-drawn wagons to transport many of the guests out to the wedding today. The rest of the guests had walked. Even Lieutenant Williams had walked the mile to the Richmond's from the military outpost.

"Besides," Jake added with a devilish smile, his eyes still not leaving her. "It was more dramatic this way."

Rolling her eyes, Heather shook her head at him then gave Jake a tiny wave goodbye as she trotted up the stairs to let Bonnie and Mimi know it was finally time to begin.

* * *

The beautiful chords of Pachelbel's Canon in D faded in the breeze, echoing faintly off the house and nearby barns. Silence fell as the string quartet paused in their playing. 

Mimi Clark appeared in the doorway of the Richmond house, her silhouette dark at first until she stepped out into the light. There were murmurs as everyone stared at the beautiful bride. Her white wedding dress hugged her slim figure. Her long dark hair was pulled back from her face into curls which were held up by the ivory combs Heather had given her. Weaved into Mimi's curls were white silk flowers that contrasted against her dark locks. She wore the pearl necklace and earrings that Emily had loaned her. The strapless wedding gown left her shoulders and arms bare, showing off the tan she had earned working out in the sun on the farm. She had decided to go without a veil for the wedding, showing off her glowing skin, soft lips and beautiful eyes. In her hands, she held a bouquet Bonnie had made for her that morning, filled with local wildflowers and lilacs.

With a nod, the musicians began to play again. The familiar tune of Wagner's Bridal Chorus filled the air as the wedding guests stood up from their chairs. Everyone was in place, with Jake and Bonnie up near the front of the trellis and the bridesmaids and groomsmen on either side. They had already processed up to their spots in front. Jake had used the opportunity to stare at Heather as she walked up the aisle escorted by Richie, his eyes still filled with wonder and something more as they met hers. The flower girl finished tossing the flower petals from her basket on the grass walkway between the chairs. Mimi carefully stepped off the porch and into the sunlight, slowly walking toward them down the aisle. Heather glanced at Stanley and noted the precious look of love on his face as he watched his bride pass between the rows of guests and gracefully step toward him.

Mimi smiled at each of them in the wedding party as she drew closer, but her eyes were only for Stanley. Heather caught the scent of her perfume as she came close, remembering the Chance perfume Mary had given her. It did certainly smell wonderful and suited Mimi. At last, Mimi reached Stanley's side in front of the trellis, taking his arm as they both stepped forward to stand together in front of Reverend Thomas.

The ceremony, led by Reverend Thomas, was traditional and beautiful, complete with scripture readings, the wedding vows, and prayers. The string quartet cycled through a repertoire of quiet songs including Ave Maria, Winter from The Four Seasons, and Amazing Grace. Throughout the service, Heather would occasionally glance over at the groomsmen and would catch Jake watching her and they would give each other a slight smile. She thought she saw similar glances between Eric and Mary.

The only movement up front was the photographer trying to quietly snap photographs as he left the camcorder running on its stand aimed at Stanley and Mimi and the reverend. The photographer had volunteered to take as many pictures as he could using his older camera equipment and film. No one had been able to find a working digital camera though they had been able to scrounge up one working older model camcorder.

The time for the exchange of vows arrived and Mimi handed her bouquet to Bonnie to hold. Stanley took Mimi's hands in his as they turned to face each other, looking deep into each other's eyes.

"Repeat after me," Reverend Thomas asked Stanley and Mimi each in turn.

"I take thee, Mimi Clark to be my lawful wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do us part." A look of love and earnestness lit up Stanley's face as he repeated his vows. He stuttered a few times in his nervousness and chuckled quietly under his breath. Mimi smiled at him, squeezing his hands.

"I take thee, Stanley Richmond, to be my lawful wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do us part." Mimi's voice was strong and filled with emotion as she repeated her vows, several times almost sounding like she might break down and cry, but she held her own.

Heather remembered hearing her father say those very words many times in her life as he performed weddings. The words suddenly felt different now, as if anticipating ones to come some day for her. She hadn't given much thought to whether she and Jake were heading toward their own wedding some day, especially as busy as they had been lately. What would it like to finally get married? To know you were committed to the person you loved for the rest of your life? When she glanced at Jake, she noticed he was also paying close attention as the vows were said. At the end of the vows, his eyes looked over and caught hers again, his expression hard to read and she wasn't sure if she should try and read too much into it. She caught her breath. It was still early in their relationship, but yet she was pretty sure that Jake hadn't been unmoved by the ceremony either. She had been to dozens of wedding in her life, but this one touched her deeply and she felt a shiver of awareness go down her spine that wasn't just from the cool breeze.

She was lost in thought enough to nearly miss that it was time for the exchange of rings. Jake fumbled trying to pull them out of his pocket. There were a few chuckles as he finally handed them to the reverend. The exchange of rings was completed as Stanley and Mimi held each others hands, joined by their rings now.

They spoke the Lord's Prayer together and Reverend Thomas ended the prayer with his own words of blessing for the couple and they all said "Amen" together.

Reverend Thomas closed his ceremony book and faced the couple, smiling broadly. "Mimi and Stanley, having witnessed your vows of love to one another, it is my joy to present you to all gathered here as husband and wife. Stanley, you may now kiss the bride."

As Stanley turned to face Mimi again, Heather saw the look of pure joy on his face. Heather heard Mimi say softly as she looked at him, "I love you, farm boy."

Stanley nearly cracked up as he leaned in to give Mimi a soft, heartfelt kiss that went on and on until Eric noisily cleared his throat and the two finally broke apart laughing.

"There'll be time for that later, you two, " Jake whispered jokingly, just loud enough for those in front to hear.

The musicians stopped playing as Stanley and Mimi turned to face the guests. A light breeze rustled the leaves of the maple tree and Heather heard the distinctive clicking of the windmill spinning in the wind. In the distance, several birds chirped, including the call of a bobwhite.

The reverend waited quietly for a long moment before continuing. "The Lord bless and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace."

Heather tilted her head to the side as she looked past Stanley and Mimi and smiled at Jake watching her again. He winked at her.

Reverend Thomas raised his hands to touch the shoulders of the bride and groom and spoke toward the guests. "I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Richmond."

Stanley and Mimi Richmond, now man and wife, faced the guests as applause and cheers rang out.

* * *

The reception to celebrate the wedding of Stanley and Mimi Richmond began quietly as the string quartet continued to play, their classical music lending a touch of sophistication and normality to the joyous occasion. As the musicians began to play Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Stanley and Mimi greeted their guests, exchanging handshakes and hugs. Heather went in search of Jake but lost him in the crowd setting up for the reception. She wondered if he had gone to look after his horse, but saw one of Stanley's cousins walking it over by the barn, cooling the horse out. She did finally see Jake when the photographer pulled them together for a wedding party picture. They had already taken several photographs before the wedding, but now they finally had the best man to complete the rest of the pictures. Heather tried to catch Jake's attention after the picture was taken, but he disappeared again. He was avoiding her, Heather realized, but she also knew why. She hadn't been sure if Jake had been serious about the unusual request he had made earlier this week. Sighing to herself, Heather now knew he was. 

It only took twenty minutes to remove the chairs and set up tables in their place, including a long table set up in front of the trellis for the wedding party. The afternoon had warmed up, but with the shade of the maple tree and the light breeze, most people were comfortable, especially once they could take off their jackets and begin to relax. The groomsmen did keep their jackets on, mostly for pictures and the videotaping. Several children ran around the tables, playing games and interacting with friends and relatives as the adults mingled and talked amongst themselves and shared old stories.

Despite the hard times of late, it almost seemed like a typical wedding and reception, except instead of providing all of the food and in lieu of presents, they had asked the guests to bring their own foods for a potluck dinner. Stanley and Mimi did supply chicken as the main course from the first batch of meat chickens hatched at the poultry farm. They had planned a surprise for dessert for the guests. A raid on the high school cafeteria had scrounged up enough white sugar to make a small wedding cake for Stanley and Mimi.

Heather sat near the end of the wedding party table, in between Richie and Eric. She could hear Jake's familiar voice joking with Stanley and Mimi near the middle of the table. She didn't mind talking with Stanley's cousin Richie even though the topics all ended up being about farming. It gave her time to watch the wedding guests. It was good to see people relaxing and trying to act normal despite all that had happened in the past year. Near the front, Lt. Williams had been seated with Emily at the same table as Gail and Heather often saw the lieutenant talking with Jake's mother and the others at the table, several times making them laugh.

The musicians ended their playing and one of Stanley's cousins began playing music from the stereo on the porch. The boys had spent the morning mounting and wiring up additional speakers for the wedding, reminding Heather of her high school days when she and Ted used to do the same thing for dances and even some weddings. Fortunately, the teenagers, most of the Stanley's relatives, were mature enough to play easy listening music for the reception, though she saw Sean Henthorn trying to persuade them to play different songs. They had borrowed a large CD collection from a former DJ and had a large supply of the usual wedding songs to choose from.

Many people had wondered where they were getting power from since the Richmond farm was too far from Jericho to receive regular power from the town wind turbines. Stanley took the time out of eating to show off the windmill generator prototype Heather and Ted had installed earlier that week on Stanley's existing windmill. As long as the wind kept blowing, it was able to generate enough power for the house including power for the lights, kitchen and the stereo. They were planning on rolling out more of the generators to additional outlying farms within the next couple of weeks. Heather caught Jake smiling at her proudly as Stanley asked for a round of applause in her honor.

When Stanley asked Jake why he had been late, people quieted down as Jake told them the story of how he had come to the rescue of a young family being robbed on the road north of Jericho. The couple had been from New Bern and on their way to Cheyenne when they had been stopped by two of Jonah Prowse's men. Heather watched as Jake held everyone's attention, including that of the children, as he told how he stopped the bad men and tied them up to a tree then sent the young couple on their way. She noticed Lieutenant Williams nodding approvingly at Jake. Jake glanced at Heather and she gave him an acknowledging smile, knowing he hadn't been purposely late. It was a harsh reminder, however, that the world was still not safe outside of Jericho. Emily had looked upset at the mention of her father's name and disappeared into the house for a few minutes after Jake told his story.

Stanley and Mimi made an art out of kissing every time someone tapped on their glass with a spoon, sometimes having to run around the tables to catch up with one another. Heather was sure Jake was doing it on purpose as soon as Stanley strayed too far away from his bride.

After eating, the toasts began. Though they had a keg of Mary's brew for later, several bottles of homemade wine had been donated for the occasion. After the wine was poured, Jake stood up to give his best man's speech and everyone looked nervous, including Stanley and Gail. Eric whispered in Heather's ear and told her how Jake had nearly messed up the best man's speech at his wedding and couldn't wait to see what his brother came up with this time.

Stanley looked at Jake with trepidation.

Jake tapped his knife against his glass and everyone quieted down. He glanced around at the crowd and probably saw the apprehensive expressions. He held up his glass. "I'll save you all from the many stories I could tell about Stanley Richmond."

"Thank you," Stanley cautiously laughed. He grinned up at Jake.

"You can tell them all to us later, Jake!" Mary called and there were several cat calls. Stanley blushed a shade as red as his hair.

Jake continued, nodding at Mimi. "But I would like to say how glad I am to see him finally settling down and tying the knot and it couldn't be to a more wonderful and beautiful woman. I've never seen a woman go from city chick to country gal so fast in my life. And I hear the chickens are grateful that she has such a kind heart."

A few people chuckled and Mimi laughed at him.

Jake was definitely playing the crowd and he looked out at the rest of the guests. "And to all those who worked so hard to put this wedding together, I know how challenging it was, especially since catering companies are a little hard to get a hold of right now."

There were a few laughs at that, followed by a round of applause and loud thank you's from Stanley and Mimi. When everyone quieted down again, Jake turned to face the bride and groom again.

"But honestly, I wish you the best, after all you've been through. Hell, after all we've been through in the past year." Jake looked like he might choke up for a moment. Heather saw him staring at the house, knowing he was remembering that had been where his father had died. She saw Gail dabbing her eyes with a white handkerchief. Jake lifted his glass toward Stanley and Mimi. "To a long and happy life together forever, Stanley and Mimi Richmond."

They all lifted their glasses and drank together.

The sound of a cow mooing and kicking in the barn echoed in the distance. Stanley nearly choked on his drink, turning red again with embarrassment.

"And I can see that even the cow agrees." Jake added.

Everyone laughed.

Jake looked at Heather questioningly as he took his seat again. They exchanged another look of understanding as Heather smiled back at him. Jake had done well, and even his brother agreed as she heard Eric whisper "Good job" to Jake.

There were a number of toasts after that, by Bonnie and by a few of Stanley's relatives who did sufficient harm to Stanley's ego where Jake had not.

At the end of the toasts, Mimi nodded toward the house where several women stood waiting. Heather, Gail, Mary and Emily went inside the house to to help. They came out of the house bearing several trays of shortcake along with huge bowls of fresh strawberries and homemade whip creme made with heavy creme and honey.

There were several oohs and aahs at the sight. A year ago, people probably would have been dismayed at such a normal fare, but after nearly a year without any fresh fruit, the strawberries, which had just been beginning to ripen, were a welcome sight. They had spent many hours this past week picking the ripe strawberries and working with various recipes to find the right combination of honey and other locally grown ingredients to be able to make the shortcake and whipped creme.

While they set up the dessert on the tables, Stanley and Mimi cut their small wedding cake together, undertaking the tradition of completing their first task together as a couple. In true wedding fashion, the two wrestled over feeding each other cake until Jake had to whistle at them for a time out and everyone laughed. Small pieces of the cake were passed out to anyone who wanted them, along with the strawberry short cake.

When the last of the strawberry shortcake was gone, Heather tried to keep busy by taking the empty trays inside. As she headed inside the house, she saw Jake and one of the Richmond cousins picking up several of the dirty trays and bowls as well. She was surprised that Jake followed her. They had yet to be alone together since he had arrived, but then again, she recalled his request from earlier in the week that they not act like a couple at the wedding. She had been confused by the request and it hadn't really sunk in until Jake had been noticeably ignoring her since after the ceremony. There were the occasional glances but Jake had obviously been avoiding her all afternoon. Anytime she tried to walk up and talk to him, Jake would turn away to talk to someone else or would suddenly need to be somewhere else. Heather wasn't sure if she should be hurt or disappointed or both. In the end, she was just confused... and annoyed.

Gail, Mary, Eric, Emily and all of the Richmonds knew that Heather and Jake were a couple now, but few others in town really did though Heather was sure some of them had seen them about town together or at church holding hands. They hadn't exactly been hiding their relationship, but neither had they been that social or outgoing either. That suited Heather fine, as she had never been interested in big social gatherings, though there had been occasional parties hosted by other couples in town and even a dance at the high school but they hadn't gone. Earlier this week, Jake had asked her to deny that they were a couple and had asked the same of the others that knew. She was hurt and confused by his request and was still pondering his reasons why and knew she needed to confront him on it. With all the wedding preparation going on, they hadn't had a moment alone together and she hadn't had time to talk to him about it before he left on his trip. It was going to be rough today, as she wanted to act like a couple with Jake for the romantic celebration just like many of the couples here.

"Need anything else?" The cousin asked Heather as she carefully rinsed the last tray out in the sink. The last thing she needed was to get the front of her nearly indecent dress wet. She noticed that the boy looked like a younger version of Stanley. Stanley had so many first, second and third cousins that she couldn't keep track of them, let alone their names other than Richie.

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks!" Heather called over her shoulder as she saw the boy leave and head back outside. Her attention was caught by Jake as he leaned against the wall. He still wore his suit jacket, though he had loosened his tie. His arms were crossed as he stared at the kitchen table lost in thought. That had been where his father had died. It was now covered with a table cloth and dishes. A rug also covered the floor beneath the table, hiding the blood stains they were still working on trying to remove. She felt a stab of guilt when she realized she had been caught up in worrying about herself and Jake when he had been behind her probably struggling with his grief and memories.

"You don't need to stay in here," she told Jake as she turned back to the sink, knowing that it was probably hard for him to be in here and remember. The times they had come out to the Richmonds to help on the farm, Jake usually stayed in the living room or outside, especially once the weather warmed up. Being here probably brought back memories for him.

"I'm all right," Jake replied, his voice sounding tired.

Heather quickly finished rinsing off the last tray and left it beside the sink, drying her hands on a towel. As she turned around, she saw that Jake had stopped staring at the table to gaze at her instead, his eyes roaming up and down her body. Her heart began to beat faster and her breath caught as his eyes met hers in a smoldering look that spoke volumes. Jake stood up and looked like he was about to say something when a woman entered the kitchen carrying the remaining bowls from the strawberries.

As the woman began washing the bowls in the sink, Heather cleared her throat. Raising her eyebrows at Jake, she said to both of them. "I'm just going to run up to the bathroom. I'll be back outside in a minute."

Jake gave her a mysterious smile as she walked past.

Heather finished in the bathroom and opened the door, moving to step outside. Instantly, an arm wrapped around her waist and she found herself being pulled to the side and up against a solid chest. At first she panicked, surprised by the unexpected move. Then she realized it was Jake and stared up at him as he held her firmly against him. His mouth came down on hers when she began to protest and her objections were lost in the passion of a deep kiss, his tongue slipping inside her mouth to tease and dance with hers. God, he tasted and felt good, she thought to herself as she kissed him back. She had definitely missed him. Though he smelled like horse still. She slipped an arm up around his neck, pressing against his chest. She heard Jake groan and he tightened his grip around her waist, one hand stroking the bare skin of her back while the other held her gently at the nape of her neck. Jake seemed tense at first but she felt him slowly beginning to relax the longer they kissed. The kiss continued as long seconds passed and time stopped.

"I'm just gonna squeeze by the two of you and use the bathroom, if the two of you don't mind." A voice came from behind Heather. It was Gail and she sounded very amused. Gail had seen them kissing and cuddled up together on many occasions, so this was nothing new, though she sometimes liked to tease them about keeping their hormones in check.

Jake chuckled against her lips as the bathroom door shut beside them. But he didn't stop kissing her, only kissing her harder and faster, nibbling on her lips between kisses. Still kissing her, he slowly began walking backward a few feet down the hallway away from the bathroom, dragging her with him. At the end of hall, he pulled her snugly against him again, kissing her softer and more deliberately until they both parted at last, both struggling to catch their breath.

Heather stared up at Jake, seeing the passion in his eyes Her lips tingled from their kiss. She had wrapped her hands underneath Jake's suit jacket and pressed against him hard. The last time she had seen him in a suit was the day she had returned to Jericho and had come to the military outpost for her. She remembered longing to be able to touch him like this. Now she was being held tight against him and let her hands run down his backside, giving his rear an affectionate squeeze that made Jake pull her own hips hard against him. She was supposed to be upset with him about something, but she couldn't remember what, not with him holding her like this.

"I've wanted to do that since I got here," Jake whispered at her, tracing a finger across her now swollen lips. His other hand ran down the bare skin of her back. "And I absolutely love this dress."

"I could tell!" She whispered with a teasing grin. "I thought I was going to have to come over and pick your jaw off the floor."

"Heh," Jake replied. His finger trailed down her chin and neck, tracing a line to the skin left bare between her breasts where the halter top was open almost halfway to her belly button. He flattened his hand at her narrow waist and slowly moved it higher until he cupped her breast through the thin chiffon fabric.

"But you smell like your horse," she teased him. A second later, she moaned as his fingers found just the right place to stroke her breast. They had already progressed to petting without shirts recently. She could feel the heat of his touch through the thin layer of fabric between them. Closing her eyes, she arched her neck back easing Jake's access as he began trailing kisses down her chin and neck.

"Gonna need a bath after all this. Care to join me later?" Jake whispered into her ear.

Heather smiled at the usual suggestive banter that often accompanied their passionate make out sessions.

The toilet flushed in the bathroom and she heard the sound of running water behind them.

"Heather!?" A voice called from downstairs. It sounded like Mary. "Jake? They want to take one last picture as the sun sets."

Heather's eyes flew open.

The bathroom door opened. Gail came out, saw them both standing at the end of the hall then called down to Mary. "They're both up here."

Jake quickly dropped his hand back to her waist.

Mary climbed the first couple of steps and saw them both still standing in each other's arms at the end of the hall. "Oh, hi you two!"

Seeing Mary reminded Heather that they had had to sneak away to be together as a couple. After their passionate kissing, reality began to take hold and fill her mind with worry and questions again. She remembered again that she was annoyed with Jake and his behavior today.

"Sorry, I was just greeting my girl after a few days away. We'll be right down." Jake informed Mary.

"Don't take too long!" Mary gave them a big smile and followed Gail back downstairs.

"Jake, why don't you want them to know-" Heather began to protest.

"Not now, please?" Jake pleaded with her.

She paused for a long moment, seeing the worried and distant expression on Jake's face. She also felt the tension starting in his body again. This was supposed to be a happy occasion and despite not being able to spend it with Jake as she'd like, she didn't want to ruin it by fighting with him.

"All right," she reluctantly agreed, making a mental note to bring this up another time. And when she would, she wouldn't back down and would find out his reasons why he didn't want it known that they were together. She tried to ignore the little voices of doubt in the back of her mind.

Jake kissed her again, a kiss that left her nearly breathless. Afterward, he stared at her looking deep in her eyes then scanning his eyes over her face. "That should do it."

"Do what?" Heather asked, blinking up at him naively.

"Make you look like you've been thoroughly kissed for the picture."

"You're incorrigible."

"Big word, gonna have to look that one up." Jake teased back. It was a common joke between them that whenever Heather used a word he didn't know, she made him go look it up in the dictionary. Though she knew that Jake was smarter than he let on, Heather was convinced he did it mainly to make fun of the definitions as he read them to her from the dictionary.

They walked down the stairs together, holding hands until they reached the door. Jake gave her hand a squeeze before she walked out the door alone.

As she walked outside, Heather noticed the crowd gathering at the dance floor, getting ready for the next part of the celebration. She wondered if she would get to dance with Jake or if he would not even let them do that much today. Heather sighed, willing herself to stop worrying and enjoy the rest of day instead.

A minute later, Jake showed up for the final wedding party picture. Stanley and Mimi Richmond, Jake, Bonnie, Eric, Mary, Richie and Heather stood together for one last photograph as the sun slowly set in the west.

(To be continued...)

_Yes, part two of the wedding is next._


	23. Chapter 23

Full Circle, Chapter Twenty Three

Stanley and Mimi Richmond were now man and wife and it was time to celebrate with the one past time that everyone had agreed needed to be part of this wedding: dancing.

As the sun disappeared into the horizon, people began congregating around the dance floor set up on the lawn in front of the Richmond house. The wood dance floor, a mobile floor made of oak parquet, had been carefully laid by several of the men from town. They had spent hours leveling the ground in front of the Richmond house and making sure the floor was secure and safe. White lights had been strung from the trees, over the dance floor and around the porch giving soft ambient light as darkness began to fall. Gas lights were lit on the tables and around the porch. The sound of crickets chirping could be heard between songs played on the stereo and a light cool breeze blew over the festivities and kept the windmill churning in the wind, supplying them power.

"The first dance is a special song picked out by by Stanley and Mimi," Richie announced to the crowd gathered around dance floor. He nodded to the teenagers at the stereo. The song 'Amazed' by Lonestar began to play as Stanley led Mimi to the empty dance floor and slowly began to dance, staring into each others eyes and looking as if they were in a world of their own.

_Every time our eyes meet_  
_This feeling inside me_  
_Is almost more than I can take_  
_Baby when you touch me_  
_I can feel how much you love me_  
_And it just blows me away_  
_I've never been this close to anyone or anything_  
_I can hear your thoughts_  
_I can see your dreams_

_I don't know how you do what you do_  
_I'm so in love with you_  
_It just keeps getting better_  
_I want to spend the rest of my life_  
_With you by my side_  
_Forever and ever_  
_Every little thing that you do_  
_Baby, I'm amazed by you_

_The smell of your skin_  
_The taste of your kiss_  
_The way you whisper in the dark_  
_Your hair all around me_  
_Baby you surround me_  
_You touch every place in my heart_  
_Oh, it feels like the first time, every time_  
_I want to spend the whole night in your eyes_

_I don't know how you do what you do_  
_I'm so in love with you_  
_It just keeps getting better_  
_I want to spend the rest of my life_  
_With you by my side_  
_Forever and ever_  
_Every little thing that you do_  
_Baby, I'm amazed by you_

_Every little thing that you do_  
_I'm so in love with you_  
_It just keeps getting better_  
_I want to spend the rest of my life_  
_With you by my side_  
_Forever and ever_  
_Every little thing that you do_  
_Baby, I'm amazed by you_

Standing on the porch, Heather had been entranced, listening to the words of the song and watching the romantic couple together, marveling at how beautiful it was to see her two friends so happy together. Despite all that was going on in the world, the two had found each other and were now joined together as husband and wife. She looked over to the far side of the dance floor and saw Jake watching Mimi and Stanley, a pensive expression on his face. She wondered if he was thinking similar thoughts to hers. At first, she thought so as he glanced at her and smiled. But then his gaze continued past her, back toward the tables where Lt. Williams and Emily were deep in conversation, their heads together. Emily laughed at something the lieutenant said. Jake looked annoyed after that, clenching his fists and sighing.

Trying not to read too much into it, Heather swallowed hard and tried to lose herself back into the emotions of watching Mimi and Stanley dance. She tried to remind herself that Jake did care for her, that it was more than physical attraction between the two of them. But it was hard when she was confused by Jake's behavior and lack of trust. This should have been a great day to be together as a couple, but Jake had been avoiding her in public all day except for their time alone upstairs. She often caught him staring at her, but she also had seen him watching Emily and Lt. Williams, who had been acting like a couple all night. After Emily's behavior at the party, she did have her doubts that Jake and Emily were truly over. Emily was beautiful and sophisticated and she and Jake had had quite the past. What if Jake was just using her to get over Emily? He could be so romantic and caring, then other times, he would shut her out, only asking her to trust him and not ask any more questions. A true relationship was built on honesty, wasn't it? Yet, she was still rather new to this whole serious relationship business and wasn't sure how hard she should push. Yet she didn't want to seem like she was pushover either, blindly giving into Jake without asking more questions when she probably should.

The next song started, 'Open Arms' by Journey, and Jake danced with Mimi and Stanley with his sister Bonnie. Before the dance ended, Heather decided to just keep herself busy cleaning up after the reception and headed into the house, not wanting the rest to see her now depressed mood. 

Stanley found her fifteen minutes later.

"Now how I am suppose to dance with my favorite bridesmaid if she's in here washing dishes?" Stanley teased her.

"Mary's outside," she replied, failing at trying to not sound as depressed as she felt. She didn't even turn to look at him.

"But she's not my favorite," Stanley stood behind her and gave her a big hug, lifting her off her feet, causing her drop the dishrag in the sink. He set her gently back on the floor, kissing her softly on the cheek. She could smell the liquor on his breath. They must have opened the keg of Mary's brew. "So, how about it? Come and dance with me?"

She turned around and was enraptured by his boyish grin. "All right."

Drying off her hands, she removed the apron she had donned and took Stanley's hand and let him lead her to the dance floor. The dance floor was crowded with couples now. She didn't see Jake anywhere, but decided not to worry about it. Stanley wasn't a great dancer, but he moved slow and it was enough. He kept whispering jokes in her ear and made her laugh, enough that she felt genuinely better by the time the dance was over. She danced with Eric and Richie before they took time out from the dancing for the usual wedding traditions.

First was the traditional tossing of the bridal bouquet. Heather tried to disappear into the house, unsure that she wanted the attention if she caught the bouquet, but Mary and Eric came to drag her back out. By the time she got on the floor, she was able to hide among the taller women, including Emily and Mary. She saw Mimi eye her out in the crowd, however, and while the toss came her way, she let Mary reach out and capture it. People cheered and tossed a few teasing remarks at Eric, who just shrugged, but did give Mary a big kiss as she walked over.

Next was the removal of the garter and a chair appeared on the floor for Mimi to sit upon. Stanley knelt in front of his bride and withstood the general teasing from the crowd as he slowly slid his hand up Mimi's leg, pushing back the long skirt of her wedding dress until he found the beautiful blue garter belt Bonnie had made. His eyes lit up in appreciation and he blew his sister a kiss in the crowd before slowly sliding the belt down Mimi's leg. He made a joke of having trouble getting it off Mimi's foot, teasing her about having big feet, and she gave him a playful cuff on the head.

The single men lined up behind Stanley on the floor. Most of them, including Jake and Eric, had removed their suit jackets and a few had taken off their ties. There was a much larger crowd of men than there had been of single women, especially since most of them were Stanley's relatives who tended to have more boys than girls. Eric had dragged Jake out along with him. Stanley tossed the light garter and it swung wide into the crowd and no one saw where it went. For a minute, no one was sure who had it, then finally, Eric pulled the blue ribboned garter out of his pocket.

Heather laughed at Eric's trick and Jake gave him a hard rub on the head in retribution. There were several whistles and shouts at Eric and Mary when they began to dance together, asking them when the date would be, as the tradition was that whoever caught the bouquet and garter would be the next to get married..

Over at the tables, Heather saw Gail watching the activities and smiling. She knew it had taken Gail a while to accept Mary, but was sure she realized that Mary made her younger son happy. Eric and Mary were still working on their relationship, as Heather knew that Eric was still feeling guilty for what had happened to April. But he was more able to talk about it nowadays and even took occasional trips up to the cemetery to put flowers on her grave. Gail spent much of the reception sitting and talking with a group of her friends. It was good to see Gail enjoying herself, though she had avoided going into the house as much as possible. Heather would actually see the older woman looking sad for a moment, but then she would look at Stanley and Mimi or one of the children still running around and would smile again.

Those that weren't dancing, were drinking and talking as they stood around the dance floor, on the porch or sat at the tables. There was no moon in the night sky yet, yet with the dim lights of the gas lamps and the white lights overhead, they could make out the stars in the sky above. Romance was definitely in the air. 

Heather quickly found herself forgetting her worries and got into the dancing instead, enjoying being young and alive. There were slow dances, fast dances where Heather often danced with Mimi and Mary rocking on the dance floor, and the usual line and other group dances. Heather found herself with many dance requests, dancing with several of the Richmond cousins, Eric and several other family friends. Though Jake had danced with several women, including his mother, Mimi, Mary and Emily, he didn't ask Heather to dance. She tried to ignore how good Emily and Jake looked together as a couple. Emily snuggled up close to Jake when they danced, her arms around Jake's shoulders, even laying her cheek against Jake's shoulder for a while. To distract herself, Heather went over and got a glass of the liquor, drinking it quickly. 

She was about to refill her glass when Lt. Williams surprised her by asking her to dance. She hadn't seen him dance much yet, only with Emily and Mimi so far. She knew that the lieutenant and Emily were romantically linked now, not that she could blame Emily. The officer was tall and handsome, though she knew that Jake and Eric didn't like him much. The next dance started and she saw Jake leaving the dance floor while Emily switched partners to dance with Stanley.

"Like most women, I'm a sucker for a man in uniform," Heather teased the tall officer as they moved together on the dance floor. Unlike most of the men, Lt. Williams still wore his jacket. He had to be at least six foot four, if not taller, towering over her even in the heels she wore. The top of her head barely reached his chin. But she found the man to be an excellent dancer.

"Works most of the time," he laughed. "Those these are the old uniforms still. We were supposed to start getting new uniforms this year, before everything went to hell."

"Don't tell me, more Army green?" Heather asked, recalling that the Army dress uniforms were green like the ones the lieutenant wore. She had seen many soldiers in uniform from Fort Riley while going to school at Kansas State.

"No, the new ones were supposed to be blue. Guess we won't be seeing those for a long time now." Lt. Williams said with regret in his voice. 

The lieutenant's hand was warm against the skin of her bare back and she felt his fingers stroke down her back, but she wasn't sure if it was on purpose or not. The open back of her dress didn't make dancing easy and the men thus far had alternated between touching her bare skin and resting their hand just below her back where the fabric began. The lieutenant did dance a bit closer to her, however, than most of her other partners so far.

"I hear that you're responsible for the lights tonight," Lt. Williams nodded at the overhead lights. The strings of lights gave just enough light for dancing and made the small dance floor seem more intimate.

"Sorta, my friend Ted did most of the work. The windmill generator is a pet project of ours down at the plant," Heather said. "Until we can get more turbines built to extend the power out this far, the farms can have their own power source."

"It's a great idea. I saw the designs for the wind turbines you gave the colonel. He made copies and sent them up to Cheyenne." Lt. Williams said. "Think we could get the design for this generator as well?"

Heather looked up at the lieutenant and noticed the admiring look in his eyes as he gazed down at her. He had warm hazel eyes.

"Sure," Heather readily agreed. "Once we get the design finalized. We're still testing it."

"You know, if you want to come up to Cheyenne, we could use people with your skills. We have grocery stores, television and even a night life."

Heather smiled brightly up at him. "Thanks, but I'm happy here."

"Emily said you'd say that," The lieutenant said with a nervous laugh. "I told her we just needed more beautiful women up in Cheyenne. And smart, beautiful women are even better."

Heather blushed at the compliment and stared at him for a second before averting her eyes to look away, not sure what to say. Was the lieutenant flirting with her? As he slowly turned them around on the dance floor, she casually began looking for Jake or Emily. Emily was dancing with Stanley nearby. Then she saw Jake near the porch, glaring at her and the lieutenant, an angry look on his face as he drank from a glass.

"Are you trying to steal Heather away from Jericho?" Emily teased as she and Stanley danced close to them.

"I tried, but she said no." Lt. Williams said, looking forlorn. 

"Told you!" Emily laughed.

"What is it about this place? You get all the beautiful and smart women?" The lieutenant asked Stanley.

"We're just lucky like that." Stanley replied with a big grin that lit up his face. "Don't let that secret get out."

As the song came to an end, the lieutenant held her hand as he escorted her off the dance floor. As they reached the porch, he raised her hand to his lips and gave her a gentlemanly kiss on the back of her hand. "Thank you for the lovely dance, Ms. Lisinski."

"The pleasure was mine." Heather replied, smiling up at the tall lieutenant. She could see what Emily saw in the man, he was very charming. Lt. Williams started walking over to where Emily was just leaving the dance floor.

A voice spoke in her ear. "My turn!"

She turned around and found herself in Jake's arms for the second time that night. Heather nearly lost her balance, but Jake caught her, helping her stay on her feet before quickly dragging her back onto the dance floor. 

She smiled at him, glad to finally have the chance to dance with him, but the smile faded when she saw that he was upset.

As they slowly began to dance, she felt the distance between them, both emotionally and physically. He held her like a stranger, his hand avoiding the bare skin of her back, his other holding her hand out in the usual dance pose. Jake was a good dancer, however, and she noticed that the two of them fit together well as a couple. She could easily reach up and put her arms around his neck to dance closer and she tried to, but Jake pushed her arms back down. 

"Jake, what's wrong?" she finally asked, staring up at him.

"Nothing is wrong," he replied. She could tell he was lying. His body was tense and he wouldn't even look at her.

"Jake, what is it?" she asked again, looking up at his eyes. Finally, he glanced down at her, meeting her eyes. He did start to lower his guard and she saw the anger in his eyes. Jake looked away again, as if he didn't even want to look at her.

"I just don't like you dancing with every single man here." Jake said quietly, barely loud enough for her to hear as he did finally draw her closer, enough that they could talk easier without being overheard. "And I don't like the way some of them flirt with you."

True, some of the men had flirted with her, including the lieutenant, but she didn't think much of it. There were a lot of single men here tonight, but she knew that her heart was already spoken for. "I haven't danced with everyone. Besides, they probably wouldn't flirt so openly if they knew we were a couple!" 

She wasn't sure what had prompted her to say that, but she felt a blaze of anger growing inside her in response to his behavior today. Jake had avoided her all day today, not asking her to dance until now, and not telling her the reasons why they couldn't admit that they were together. 

"You know we can't admit to that," Jake muttered.

"But you won't tell me why?" Her question was met with silence. Jake wasn't even bothering to look at her as they talked and danced. "Jake, most of the people here already know we're together. If not, they already suspect." 

Jake replied. "I know, but they aren't the ones I'm worried about."

"Then who is?" Heather asked. Jake nodded toward another part of the dance floor. She followed Jake's gaze to where Emily was dancing with Lt. Williams. "The lieutenant? Emily knows. How do you know she hasn't told the lieutenant already?" 

"She hasn't. I asked her not to."

So Jake had already talked to Emily about them. Emily, who spent a good amount of town down at the outpost...with Jake. Yet, he still couldn't tell her why he didn't want others to know about them, or what he was doing on his trips. She wondered if Emily knew what Jake was up to. "What does it matter if the military knows anyway?"

"I told them I didn't have any romantic ties at the moment."

"Jake-" she began to protest. Jake didn't even want to admit that they were a couple. Was he ashamed of her?

"No, Heather, just listen. Some of the things I'm doing could be dangerous and they might not be happy with me if they find out. If they do, they might use you against me or worse."

"Who finds out? The military? Jake, this isn't like an episode of 24!. You're not Jack Bauer. What the hell are you up to that it could be that dangerous? Is that what you are doing on these trips of yours?" She had spoken a bit louder than she intended and noticed several people given them odd glances, including Eric and Mimi who were dancing together. Jake started moving them toward a quieter corner of the dance floor.

"Not just work for the military," Jake admitted. "I'm still not sure about them or the government they are with."

They had talked occasionally that they both still had their doubts about the Cheyenne government, especially with the mixed news they heard from the ham radio network. "If you don't trust them , then why are you and Emily working for them?"

Again, Jake didn't answer.

"Does Emily know?" Heather glanced at Emily who was dancing quite intimately with the lieutenant. 

"Some of it." Jake said then cursed under his breath as if realizing he probably shouldn't have told her that.

"You can tell Emily but not me?" She glared up at him.

But Jake stonewalled again. "I just can't. Heather, we've been over this. Please, just trust me?"

Jake was staring down at her with a pleading look that made her heart leap. He really was worried and afraid. 

True, he had told her of his work with the military and she had caught on that these trips he was taking out of town on horseback were probably not related to the work he was doing taking out the gangs. But when she had pressed him for what he was actually doing, he wouldn't tell her. Sighing, she decided to let it go again. For now. But she still wished she could dance with Jake like some of the other couples were together. 

"All right, but you are gonna owe me my own private dance later. Or better yet, buster, a little couch time." She poked him affectionately in the ribs. 

At that, Jake finally chuckled, giving her a look that spoke volumes as he smiled at her. He knew exactly what she was talking about. "You got it, baby."

"Promise?" She tried not to get distracted. He had started calling her baby lately, a term of endearment that made her insides turn to jelly.

"I promise." Jake finally relaxed as he pulled her a little closer. But she found his hand affectionately stroking her bare back throughout the rest of the dance, his finger tips dancing across her skin. No one else would have noticed it, but she could feel it, his touch sending warm shivers up and down her spine. 

"And Heather?" Jake said against her hair as he held her close.

"Mmmm?" She had been trying to keep from laying her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." The depth of sincerity and remorse in his voice was unmistakable. He rubbed her back slowly, saying with touch what he couldn't say with words.

The song came to an end too soon and Jake led her from the dance floor, squeezing her hand and walking off toward the drink table.

"Everything okay?" Mimi asked her as Heather picked up her drink from a table. Mimi was starting to look tired, but still looked beautiful and joyously happy. Heather envied her friend, knowing Mimi had found a wonderful relationship with Stanley. She envied their simple life on the farm. At least Stanley was not disappearing on mysterious trips for days at a time.

"Fine," Heather said, giving her friend a big but forced smile. She wasn't going to worry her friend on her wedding day with her troubles. Instead, she took a long drink, feeling the liquor burn on the way down. Trying not to cough, she spotted Stanley heading toward them. "I think Stanley's looking for you."

"Pardon us." Stanley smiled at Heather. He swept Mimi onto the dance floor again, kissing her passionately as he bent her over his arm. There were cheers all over the dance floor and from the porch. Heather smiled at her friends, glad that they had been able to give them such a normal and festive wedding. She felt a strong gust of wind and the strings of lights swung back and forth as the breeze rustled through the leaves of the nearby trees. In the distance, she heard the windmill clicking as it continued to spin in the wind and generate power.

The next dance she was claimed by Eric again. 

"My brother giving you a rough time?" Eric asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, you know what about." Heather sighed. She had talked with Eric a little bit about Jake's odd behavior in the past weeks, but Eric was just as in the dark about what Jake was really up to as she was. 

"Just hang in there." Eric reassured her. "Knowing Jake, he probably has his reasons."

She decided to relax and snuggle up a bit closer to Eric instead, knowing he was safe for her and needing the physical closeness. She laid her head against Eric's shoulder and let him pull her close. She was tired anyway. The entire day had been busy and worrying about Jake had only made it worse. She saw Mary give them a warm smile from across the floor and knew it was okay. The world faded away as she closed her eyes.

Halfway through the song, the lights started to flicker and the music skipped as the power affected the stereo as well. There was a wave of protests and murmurs of concern as the power continued to turn off and on then finally go out. The generator on the windmill must be having problems, Heather figured. The wind was still blowing, cool against her skin and she heard the windmill clicking, so it was probably not the lack of wind. 

"All right, all right, everyone stay calm," she heard Stanley call out. He sounded a little tipsy. 

The gas lights on the tables and the porch gave a little bit of light, enough that Heather was able to make her way through the silhouettes of people and off the dance floor.

"I'll go check it out." Heather announced loudly. On the porch, she found the stockpile of flashlights they had set out for emergencies. 

"I'll come with you," Eric said from behind her just as Jake was stepping toward them and looked like he was about to offer. Jake looked like he was going to object but nodded at his brother instead and walked away.

Eric grabbed a second flashlight and followed her across the lawn toward the windmill. It was cooler away from the house and Heather wished she had grabbed her sweater. She walked quickly, suddenly feeling angry again at Jake again. She wished that Jake would have come with her. He already knew a little about the generators since they were similar to the ones used by the Jericho wind turbines that he sometimes helped her with and she could have used his help now. But Jake was obviously still following through with his whole avoidance act. 

While they checked out the generator, Heather gave Eric a brief technical overview of how it worked. They checked out all the components as carefully as possible. The small rigged amp dial they had put on the generator showed that the windmill was generating enough power and she could not find any other problems with it. Thus, it was likely that there was a problem with the power cable running to the house or even with the circuit inside the house. The generator was still a prototype and it was possible it had spiked the power.

"I'll go check inside," Eric offered. "Maybe the circuit breaker got flipped."

"All right, I'll begin tracing the cable." Heather watched as Eric walked away, his flashlight lighting the path in front of him. 

Using her own flashlight, Heather followed the big cable that led toward the house. She had left the power cabling up to men who once worked for the power company, trusting them as the experts. They had used a heavily insulated cable, wanting to run it underground, but there hadn't been time and they would have had to tear up a good portion of lawn to do so. Instead, they had covered it with large rubber mats they had borrowed from the high school as it neared the house, not wanting anyone to accidentally stumble over it. Following the cable, she didn't see any obvious issues. As she came close to the back of the house, she aimed her flashlight up the wall of the outside of the house. Like many remote houses in the Midwest, the power came from overhead lines that ran back from the roads supported by wood poles and connected to the outside of the house. They had disconnected the normal power cable to the house and replaced it with this cable. But near the top, she saw where it had come loose, likely the weight of the cable pulling it free. They would need to shut down the windmill generator and reconnect it.

Heather started walking around the house, thinking about what they would need to do. As she began to climb the steps to the porch, the sound of voices broke into her thoughts. It could have just been a couple of teenagers, she realized, but she thought she recognized one of the voices. She couldn't make out what they were saying at first, but as she grew closer, she was finally able to hear them. She stopped on the steps.

"Smoke?" Said one voice.

"I didn't think anyone had any left." Replied the second. Heather inhaled deeply as recognition shot through her. That voice she definitely knew. It was Jake. She froze, debating what to do. She should just get back to fixing the power and not eavesdrop, but she was curious. Who was Jake talking to? She turned off her flashlight. It was likely they hadn't noticed she was there.

"Contraband from the gangs you've been taking out. Officer perk." The other voice was male, but she wasn't sure who it was. It wasn't Eric or Stanley, that much she knew.

Heather saw a flash of light that was probably a cigarette lighter. She was able to see shadows by the dim light but nothing more. A cigarette was lit and she could see the embers from two of them burning in the dark several yards away. Jake and whoever he was talking to were standing on the back part of the porch out of sight of the rest of the reception.

The unknown voice said. "Yeah, I won't be here in Jericho as much once the promotion goes through. They want me to follow up a few leads in Cheyenne. Someone said they saw Hawkins there and they want me to coordinate the search from there."

"Congratulations." Jake said. But who was he talking to? The comment about Cheyenne perked her curiosity. And what was this about Hawkins? Realizing that they could probably see her if they looked her way, Heather stepped off the stairs and slipped into nearby the lilac bushes, trying to ignore their strong fragrant smell and concentrate on the conversation instead. Her eyes adjusted to the dark and she was able to make out two silhouettes on the porch, one taller than the other. She thought she recognized Jake's white dress shirt, but the other figure wore darker clothes.

"Thanks," the man replied. "The colonel is going to have Lieutenant Brady take over as Jericho liaison. He's only a second lieutenant, but he should do fine."

She put two and two together and realized that it must be Lt. Williams who Jake was talking to. Jake didn't like the lieutenant much, that much she knew. So the lieutenant was leaving Jericho? 

"Well, you should be glad to see me gone, right?"

"I don't know about that. Does Emily know?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, she knows. I'm trying to see if I can get her a job up in Cheyenne. She says she's bored here and wants to leave, not that I blame her." Lt. Williams said with a chuckle. 

"She never did like the lack of excitement much. She was always wanting to travel and do things, to go to New Bern, or Denver, or anywhere out of town. But she always loved coming back home." Heather could hear the affection in Jake's voice. Jake did know Emily well. "It's pretty boring here for a lot of people, without television or being able to go anywhere."

Heather chewed on her lip, thinking. That didn't sound like Emily, at least the part about wanting to leave. Emily was big on staying in Jericho, that was something she had insisted on with Roger. Emily had told her that she and Roger had argued about that the night before the bombs. Maybe Emily was changing her mind? The bombs had made a lot of people change.

"You should just be glad you have the peace and quiet. It's hell in most other places."

"Oh we are, trust me." Jake replied. 

"You're okay with me and Emily? I know the two of you had quite the past."

Heather found herself holding her breath, wondering how Jake would answer.

"Yeah, it was over between us years ago." Jake's response warmed her heart. "I just want to see her happy again and you seem to be doing a pretty good job at that so far."

"Thanks, I'm trying. I know she's had some rough times."

Heather rolled her eyes. She had to admit Emily had had her share of tragedies in her life. And having a father that was a convicted felon harassing innocent people on the roads wasn't easy to live with either. But Emily also tended to wear her heart on her sleeve when it came to the emotional turmoil of her life. Heather was the opposite, not wanting to attract attention to her own troubles.

She finally caught the scent of their cigarette smoke carrying over to where she stood. It had been so long since anyone smoked, she had forgotten how potent the smell was.

There was a long pause before Jake spoke again. "So why didn't you tell us Constantino got moved up to Cheyenne?"

Constantino. The mention of his name was enough to flood her mind with memories. Heather inhaled deeply and held her breath against the tide. She hadn't thought much about Sheriff Constantino and what had happened for a long time. She still had nightmares about it, though they were rare nowadays. She forced herself to take slow and steady breaths.

"Didn't think it mattered." 

"You're not doing to drop the case against him, are you?" She heard the anger in Jake's voice. Constantino was responsible for the death of his father and others in Jericho. They all had given detailed statements about what Constantino and his men had done in their interviews. Her own interview had been difficult. She hoped it hadn't been for nothing.

"Hell, no. The president's intent on making an example out of him. They have him locked up at the base and are still building the case against him. We had to take him out of New Bern before someone killed him. Do you know there's a bounty on his head? You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"

"Me? No, I didn't even realize there was such a thing. Sounds like something out of the Old West." Jake chuckled. 

"Speaking of the Old West, did you find any leads on Hawkins on this horseback trip of yours?" Lt. Williams asked. Heather wondered if that was suspicion she heard in the officer's voice.

"Nothing definite," Jake replied rather quickly.

Heather guessed they were talking about Robert Hawkins. She hadn't known the man well, only knowing that he had helped Jake and Eric escape from New Bern and with the battle here at the farm. She knew he had arrived just before the bombs had gone off and people thought he was a bit odd, especially because they rarely saw his family about town. She recalled that he had worked as a deputy after the bombs went off. But then he had left town with his family a few days after the military had arrived and the border patrol was keeping an eye out for him but she had never heard why. Why would he have left when Jericho was probably better off than most other towns out there? Was Jake searching for him and was that really what he was doing on his trips? The lieutenant asked the question for her.

"That is what you are doing on these little trips of yours, right?"

"That and checking out a few of the other gangs." Jake answered. Heather wondered if he was being truthful, but only having his voice to go by, she wasn't sure. "I did come across another cabin he may have been staying in, but I'm not sure."

"Any idea where he may have moved his family?" The lieutenant asked. "Or how he got out of town with them and most of his belongings without either of us noticing?"

Jake paused a few seconds before answering. "My best guess is that he used some of the old roads that we haven't been able to keep guarded. I would have thought he would have been long gone by now, but he had been in that hunting cabin I showed you and I've heard rumors that he's been seen outside of town, but no sign of his family. Any idea why he would still be hanging out in the area?"

There was a long pause. "We think he's looking for something, or someone."

"Well, Sarah Mason is dead." Jake said. Heather vaguely recalled Jake mentioning that name to her once, only saying that she was one of the refugees that had come into town with Roger and her body had been found outside of town. Murder was rare in Jericho, but things had changed since the bombs. The military had been upset with Jericho for not being able to protect their citizens. Jake had started pushing for the town charter after that hoping to get more people to assist with law enforcement and get the military off their backs.

"Yeah and he probably killed her. It's something that Sarah had. Something related to the bombs." Lt. Williams said.

Heather held her breath. That was news. Sarah Mason was connected to Robert Hawkins? Robert Hawkins was a murderer? And what was this about the bombs? Were these the terrorists Jake had said something about a long time ago? Her heart began pounding in her chest as she realized that this was no light matter that they were talking about. She gulped down a breath of air. Just what was Jake involved with? And why hadn't they talked about any of this together in the past months? Was Jake trying to shelter her or did he just not trust her with the truth? 

Jake added. "And with her dead, he doesn't know where she put it."

"Yeah, something like that." The lieutenant replied.

"You could have told me this sooner, you know. Maybe I could have found out what he's looking for." Jake sounded annoyed.

Heather wondered if that was what the military had been searching for all along. They were still sweeping the area about town and interviewing some people, but had extended their searches to the towns surrounding Jericho. Was all this why Colonel Hoffman had come to Jericho to stop the battle with New Bern? But what were they looking for? 

Lt. Williams said. "We've tried that, but we can't find what she had either."

"Mind telling me what that is? I can keep a lookout for-"

"Yeah, I do mind." Lt. Williams said forcefully, then sounded like he was lightening up. "Sorry, it's classified. I've already said too much. Must be the vodka."

Jake sighed and Heather thought she saw him running his fingers through his hair like he often did when he was frustrated. "Well, I'd like to help where I can. The more information I have, the more I can help."

"I know, but that's all I can tell you at this time." The lieutenant replied. "Look, just keep doing what you're doing, cleaning up the gangs and following up on leads on Hawkins. We do appreciate the work. And if you can stop Jonah Prowse, that would be even better. That man and his operation has been been a pain in the ass ever since we got here. Every time we think we have a road or area safe, his goons come in and take it over again."

Jake spoke up. "Well, I might have a few ideas on how to get to Jonah, or at least how to get us some inside information."

"Good, 'cause we'd like to bring him down, dead or alive. And soon." Lt. Williams said.

"I hear ya." Jake replied.

A shiver went through Heather. Jake was going after Jonah? What would Emily think? She guessed that it was inevitable, but she didn't think Jake would be involved with it. Taking down Jonah Prowse could be dangerous. Jonah had the mortars from New Bern and was rumored to have stolen other military weapons as well.

"We better finish these up before someone sees us." The lieutenant said with a laugh. 

A long moment passed as they both finished up their cigarettes. Heather could hear the murmur of voices on the other side of the house as well as the occasional round of laughter. She could have sworn she heard her name being called. But she ignored it for now, her heart still racing at what she had just overheard. Was this what Jake had been hiding from her and the others? That he was really looking for Hawkins? Why couldn't he tell her something like that? But what was he hiding from the military if they already knew that he was looking for Hawkins? And was Hawkins the terrorist the military was looking for? She suddenly felt very cold.

"Power back on yet?" Lt. Williams asked.

Jake answered. "Doesn't look like it. Maybe we should go offer to lend a hand. Knowing Heather, she's probably figured out what's wrong by now."

Heather knew that was her cue. They would be looking for her shortly. She tried to not think about what she had just overheard. Dwell on it later, Heather. Right now, she had to get the power fixed.

"That's one smart gal. Think we could convince her to come up to Cheyenne?"

Heather stifled a laugh when Jake quickly retorted. "No, not a chance."

Holding still, she watched as Jake and the lieutenant walked toward her and passed by without seeing her. She waited until she heard their footsteps fade across the porch. She slipped out of the bushes and started heading around the house in the opposite direction and nearly bumped into Eric as he looked for her. She pointed out the power cable problem to him. With the help of Eric and a few other men, she was able to shut down the generator and they reattached the power cable and secured it with better support. There were cheers all around when the power came back on a few minutes later. 

Heather was named the hero of the wedding and there was a toast in her honor. Then everyone wanted to dance with her again. She decided to stop worrying for the rest of the evening and enjoy herself instead. There would be time to worry about Jake and what she had overheard later. Heather joined back in with the drinking and dancing and even flirted more than normal with some of the men she danced with. She made it a point to dance with Lt. Williams several times. As the evening wore on, she saw Jake watching her, his face a mixture of worry and anger. For once, she didn't care, glad to not be the only one worrying in their relationship.

Stanley and Mimi were sent off in a horse drawn carriage that would take them to the small motel on the outskirts of Jericho for their first night as a married couple. After that, they were heading up to spend ten days alone at one of the private hunting cabins south of Jericho for their honeymoon. Stanley joked that he was going to teach Mimi how to catch and scale a fish. Mimi replied that she was looking forward to having something to eat other than eggs and sprouts. Richie was going to stay at the house to keep an eye on the farm and Sean and Bonnie while Stanley and Mimi were gone.

As the hour grew late, most of the guests started leaving, taking the wagons back to town or walking back home. Lt. Williams took one of the first wagons back to town with Emily as many of those remaining did a hasty job cleaning up the remains of the reception. Heather soon found Jake working alongside her as if he hadn't been avoiding her all night, though he kept giving her odd looks. While they worked, Heather kept glancing at him, seeing Jake in a new light after what she had overheard. What was he really up to? And how dangerous was it? She tried not to worry, but that was one thing she did best. 

To Heather's surprise, Jake asked if she wanted to ride with him back to the ranch and she agreed. He didn't appear to be upset with her, even after glaring at her for the latter part of the night. While Jake went to saddle and retrieve the horse from the barn, Heather changed out of her dress and into the clothes she had worn over to the wedding that morning, including her sweater. She sent her dress home with Gail on the last wagon back to town. Jake pulled on his suit jacket and mounted the horse. He gave her a hand up to the back of the horse and she climbed onto the saddle behind him.

Knowing the horse was still tired from the trip home, Jake kept the horse at a slow walk the entire way back to the ranch. Stanley had offered to let him keep the horse at the farm, but Jake insisted on returning the horse to the ranch. Jake guided the horse over to a trail that ran between the Richmond farm and the ranch. It was dark but Heather's eyes adjusted to lack of light fairly well. She knew that horses could see better than humans in the dark and Jake told her he knew the way to the ranch like the back of his hand. The moon wasn't up yet, but the sky was clear and filled with stars. Crickets chirped and she thought she heard an owl hooting in the distance.

They rode for several minutes in silence. Heather was glad she had pulled on her sweater and hugged Jake a bit tighter as she sat behind him, feeling his warmth. She rested her cheek against his back, listening to the sound of his breathing. In her mind, she debated confronting him over what she had overheard tonight. But she also remembered what Eric had said. Jake probably had his reasons. She needed to trust him. What she had heard scared her, however. Sighing softly, she decided to not bring it up again tonight. She was too tired to argue again.

But, she could stir the pudding a little bit. Inhaling, she caught the lingering smell of smoke on Jake's clothes. She couldn't resist asking. "Do I smell cigarette smoke on your clothes?"

She felt Jake stiffen. Try and squirm your way out of this one, buster, Heather thought to herself, smiling at his discomfort.

"Probably from the gas lamps," Jake replied.

She decided to let it pass and started talking about the wedding instead, especially how happy Stanley and Mimi were together. She questioned him about the couple that he had rescued today. As she had overheard, he told her that he had learned from the couple that Constantino had been moved up to Cheyenne and that New Bern was having problems. It made her sad to think that her hometown was still in such bad shape. They were really fortunate here in Jericho. She enjoyed talking with Jake, feeling like the tension between them tonight had never happened. 

Jake passed by an old windmill that had once been one of the ranch's watering holes. The windmill was rusty and looked like it could topple over with a good storm. As they rode past it, Jake told her how proud he was that her windmill prototype worked so well. Several of the farmers at the wedding had asked how soon they could get them for their own farms. After this week's break preparing for the wedding, Heather knew she'd be back at work on Monday working on the wind turbines and trying to see how fast they could roll out more of the windmill generators. She would have to finish up a design of the prototype for the military as well. Sighing, Heather felt the pull of reality coming back. This past week had almost made her forgot the realities of their world, especially after the past few hours. But the world had changed and it was time to get back to work again.

Before long, they arrived at the barn and Heather helped rub the horse down before Jake let it loose in the pasture. The horse ruined their fine grooming by rolling on the ground for several long minutes after they let him run free. 

They walked the couple miles back to town in silence again, holding hands and each lost in their own thoughts. It was one thing Heather had slowly learned over the past couple months with Jake... that she didn't need to feel awkward when they didn't always have something to say every minute that they were together. Sometimes it was nice to just be together or silently be there for each other as they were now.

Back at the Green house, Gail had left the downstairs light on for them. The house was slightly warmer than outside, as the nights were still cool.

Heather started heading toward the stairs, looking forward to climbing into bed. She felt the exhaustion throughout her entire body.

"Wait," Jake called as he closed the front door behind them. He took off his jacket and tossed it on the coat rack. Walking across the room to the stereo, Jake selected a CD, placed it in the stereo and turned it on, clicking the forward button several times. Billy Joel's 'Just the Way You Are" began to play as he turned around.

"Come here," he requested, holding out his hands.

Jake remembered his promise of a private dance. She smiled at him as she slowly sauntered over to him.

She felt under-dressed in her sneakers and jeans compared to Jake's dress clothes. Her hair was still up, though it was slowly coming undone with stray strands falling down around her face and onto her neck. 

But she moved into his arms and Jake lifted her arms up around his neck. Pulling her close against him, they slow danced, feet barely moving. Without her heels, the top of her head tucked neatly under his chin and she buried her face in his neck, inhaling his familiar warm scent. He pulled her tight against him, his hands cupping her rear and keeping her hips snug against his. 

"This is how I wanted to dance with you tonight," Jake whispered into her hair, kissing the top of her head.

When she pulled back to look up at him, she saw the familiar look of adoration and passion in his face and eyes again. This was her Jake. Maybe it was a private Jake, but he was hers.

(To be continued...) 


	24. Chapter 24

Full Circle, Chapter Twenty Four

"Ted, what do you remember about Robert Hawkins?" Heather asked.

They had just finished closing the wind turbine plant for the evening and were walking home. It had been a warm summer day and the sun was just beginning to lower in the west. As Jake was busy tonight, Ted had offered to walk her home, even carrying her backpack of tools for her. She had started carrying her backpack to and from the plant, never knowing when she might need to stop and fix a wind turbine.

It had been over a week since Stanley's and Mimi's wedding and it seemed like all that had happened that day between her and Jake had been forgotten, except that Heather now noticed how Jake tended to switch from being romantic in private to less personal when they were seen together in public. Until the wedding, she hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now that she knew what was going on, she was more aware of it. And the more she noticed it, the more it annoyed her. Several times she caught herself about to say something to Jake about it, but then her courage would fail her, not sure she wanted Jake to think she didn't trust him and torn about her own self-doubt as well. She knew they needed to talk about it, yet Jake had mostly gone back to his old self, being romantic and even watching a movie with her on Sunday cuddled up together on the couch, then making out when a tickle fight had knocked them both onto the floor. It was easier to chalk what happened at the wedding up to the stress both of them had been under lately, though she still was worried about what Jake was really up to and why he wouldn't tell her more about what he was doing.

And she still had to think about the conversation she had heard between Jake and Lt. Williams. Sure enough, Jake had mentioned at dinner a few days after the wedding that Lt. Williams was getting promoted to Major and moving up to work in Cheyenne. Emily was continuing to work at the outpost helping the lieutenant's replacement. The new liaison, a Lt. Brady, had come to meet Mayor Anderson, Eric, and Jake at City Hall yesterday, and from what she could tell, Jake liked the new person even less than Lt. Williams.

But the rest of what she had overheard scared her...the talk about the murder of Sarah Mason and searching for Robert Hawkins. Jake had told her that what he was up to might be dangerous, especially if the military found out. She remembered something Jake had said long ago, that the military was in the area to look for the terrorists involved with the bombs. They hadn't talked much about it since then, as it was likely that the military hadn't found anything significant, but she realized that maybe there was something to what Jake had told her. And that something seemed to point to Robert Hawkins.

The past week since the wedding, Heather had been casually been trying to find out more about Robert Hawkins, hoping to figure out what Jake was up to based on what she had overheard on that night. Her memory was a bit fuzzy about all the details, due to the alcohol and being tired, but she remembered Jake and the lieutenant talking about Robert Hawkins, Sarah Mason, and Jake looking for something related to them. She uncovered many rumors about Mr. Hawkins in the past week, some of them far fetched but most of them speculation. It appeared that he was a family man but with some marriage problems and he claimed to be a former cop from St. Louis. But most thought he was a bit odd and mysterious and a few she had talked to who worked with him definitely thought he knew a fair bit more than your average cop. Jimmy Taylor had been concerned about the man and Eric would barely talk about him to her. Despite the danger on the roads and in other towns, Robert Hawkins had left Jericho with his family right after the military had arrived, which also seemed suspicious. And the border patrol was on the lookout for him. She knew that Jake had worked with him a few times in the weeks after the bombs, including when they came to New Bern, which led her to trying to find out what she could about the man from others who knew him, short of asking Jake himself, and she knew Ted had met him in New Bern.

"Not much," Ted replied. "He came with Jake looking for you and Eric in New Bern, then helped break Jake and Eric out of jail."

"Do you think he was dangerous?" If so, maybe that was the danger that Jake was involved in. Lt. Williams had said that Robert Hawkins had murdered Sarah Mason, which alarmed her. There hadn't been any murders in Jericho in years but there had been several since the bombs had gone off.

She saw a cascade of emotions pass over Ted's face as he considered her question. He looked uncomfortable as if remembering something that made him uneasy. Having known Ted since they were in first grade, he answered her question without saying anything, though he did finally reply. "He definitely knew what he doing. And he had no qualms about killing New Bern's deputies. He didn't appreciate it when I didn't want to shoot them. He seemed to be pretty smart, with a plan how to to break Jake and Eric out of jail and no reservations of using violence to do so. So if you call that dangerous, yeah."

She couldn't blame Ted. Most people had no experience with violence. But the past months were slowly changing that. She had seen more guns and shooting in the past several months than ever in her entire life. She had never had any reason to learn how to shoot, especially in someplace as quiet as Jericho, but Jake had been teaching her how to load and shoot various guns. Now, most residents had guns and were given gun safety lessons at the high school workshops and were even encouraged to come to the training sessions that the border patrol held to learn other combat techniques.

Ted glanced at her curiously. "Why do you ask?"

Heather hesitated, unsure what to tell Ted. He was like a brother to her and they talked about most things, except about her relationship with Jake. "I've been trying to figure out what the military has been up to with all the searching and interviews and I heard someone mention that they were looking for him."

"Yeah, one of the Underground reports mentioned that he was on Cheyenne's Top Ten Wanted List."

"They have a Top Ten Wanted list?" They walked passed one of the wind turbines spinning in the wind. Both of them automatically looked up to check it out as they walked passed it. It looked like it was operating right as it spun slowly, though the wind was not blowing as strong today.

Ted said, "Yeah. I think Jonah Prowse is on that list, too. Imagine that, two Jericho residents."

Heather knew that stopping Jonah Prowse was next on Jake's list of gangs to stop and it worried her. He was working on that tonight instead of walking her home as he often did. She wasn't sure she'd see him before tonight's town hall meeting. Tonight's meeting was going to be their last major question and answer session on the charter. She was going to head to City Hall early to help set up for the meeting and be there to answer questions for anyone who came early.

"Well, I'm not sure Robert Hawkins lived here long enough to count as a resident. He came right before the bombs and left a few days after the fight with New Bern." They turned onto Kelly St. which was on the edge of the town of Jericho proper.

"I can ask around more, see what the guys know." Ted offered.

Ted had a group of friends about their own age that he hung out with. A few of them he knew from college. Many of them were gamers and geeks that used to spend their time fixing up their cars and playing online games together, but now, they worked on fixing computers and keeping up communications with the ham radio network. They were working on setting up a network in town for the town charter and businesses to use. Ted was staying with two of them who had a house on the north side of town that they used for their base of operations for repairs and using the ham radio.

"Nah, that's okay." She wasn't sure she wanted this getting back to Jake. "I was just curious is all."

So what did Jake have to do with Robert Hawkins? Was Robert Hawkins really a terrorist? Was Jake really trying to find him for the military? And why hadn't Ted ever mentioned this in front of her before?

"So how come you never mentioned this before, about the Top Ten list and Hawkins?" Heather asked. Jake often talked to Ted for a news update after walking her to the plant each day and she usually heard what they talked about. The ham radio operators wrote down the news worthy items and passed them on to Eric at City Hall, but Jake liked to hear Ted's opinion about what he heard. Not everything was written down and Ted took a turn as an operator listening and passing on news.

Ted looked taken aback and a bit guilty. "Well, Jake asked us to keep some of the information quiet."

"Even from me?" Heather asked.

"Well, not you specifically, but just among a few people. He just said something about not wanting to worry people or get them any more upset than they already were."

They did have a news update at each weekly town hall meeting, but she had the feeling that was filtered, especially since the military liaison was involved in deciding what went into that update. So Jake and maybe even Eric were keeping some of the news from the town, even from her. Jake had told her once long ago that he couldn't tell her everything that he was up to and that it was for her own protection. It worried her that Jake was trying too hard to shelter everyone, including her. Keeping secrets could be costly as well.

"Anything else interesting I haven't heard?" She was curious now. She had been wrapped up in her own world of trying to get the turbine plant working, helping at the workshops as well as helping Jake with the town charter and then with the wedding, she hadn't been paying much attention to what had been happening beyond Jericho.

"Just news about crime and places to avoid. But it's mostly stuff about the government. We all think things are getting worse out there, but its hard to tell because there is limited information coming from the East. We do hear a lot of rumors as people just tend to talk a lot on the radio and most of it isn't good."

"Such as?" Heather asked.

"Well, the Cheyenne government keeps trying to say that the East government was responsible for the bombs, blaming the former president for failing to protect the country, for letting terrorists get in the country with nuclear bombs and for aggravating foreign countries with their policies."

"But they still don't know who did it?" Before the bombs, Heather had never followed the national news all that closely, but knew there had been a growing dislike for the United States especially since the start of the War on Terror after 9/11.

Ted shook his head. "Bin Laden was claiming he did it. Castro and Hugo Chavez are praising it and alluding that they had something to do with it. Iran and North Korea are saying they had nothing to do with it, probably because they got nuked in return. But the rumors say there hasn't been definite proof of how it was done."

"And any proof was likely destroyed with the bombs." Heather looked at the small park they passed as they turned onto Eighth Street. There were a number of children playing in the playground and on the swings. Parents, mainly mothers, watched nearby. It almost looked like the time before the bombs, except there were no cars parked in the parking lot nor along the street that they walked. Everyone usually walked down the middle of streets nowadays. It was much quieter in town without cars and she could hear the laughter and chatter of the children at play and it made her smile, despite the news Ted was telling her.

Ted nodded. "There's other news, like that they are drafting a new constitution in Cheyenne and most of the Bill of Rights aren't going to be part of it. And one rumor says that those being tried for crimes are being given harsh punishment or worse, the death penalty, both to use as an example to discourage crime. They have prison camps for those they do try and even those who complain against the government are being locked up without a trial. And they do have a court system, but the judges and everyone else in this government seems to be getting appointed by the President."

"Sounds more like a dictatorship." Heather rationalized. There was supposed to be a balance of power between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government and a system for appointing and electing those in each office so that neither branch of government had too much control in the federal government. At least there was in the old government.

"Well, the president is claiming it's needed to get us through this crisis, but I don't know. It's kinda hard to back out of a two hundred year old working government. And they want to have a centralized government instead of states anymore, but giving some sort of provincial control over to the state capitals that have survived, like Sacramento and Des Moines."

Heather had to think about that one, recalling her government history, some that she taught to her students in school. One of the benefits of the combination between a constitutional republic and representative democracy of the United States was that there was clear line of separation between federal, state and local governments, but people were represented in all three levels of governments by their elected officials. Taking away state and local powers would give most of the control to the federal government and diminish the rights of people to have any say in their government.

"I would think it would be easier to stick with what we know." Heather said.

"Yeah, I'd think so too, but they are claiming since so many state governments are destroyed that it's easier this way."

"Convenient, but I didn't think that many state capitals were destroyed." There was an old map of the United States that now hung inside the police station at City Hall. It marked off all the cities destroyed by bombs. Most of them had not been state capitals, especially in the west. Denver and Phoenix were the only capitals in the west directly hit, though many of them were likely affected by radiation due to proximity to the major cities where bombs had gone off. She knew that Richmond, Virginia had gotten hit and wondered if her brother was still stationed in Norfolk and may have been affected by radiation. If he was still in the military, he may have been stationed elsewhere or even out to sea, if he still was in the Navy. She wished she knew where he was.

"They weren't, but since so much is in chaos, they've been mobilizing the military to go in and seize control over those states who can't handle it themselves and giving control over to the military until the President appoints a provincial governor for the area."

"Thus why the Cheyenne government has taken control over so many of the military bases and towns." Heather recalled that being mentioned in the reports they heard. The government said they were using the military bases to restore peace, but Jake had suspected they were also planning on using them to prepare for an offensive against the Eastern government. "Where are they getting the manpower for all this?"

"National Guard and former veterans. They are also wracking up some big IOU's to military contractors and using them to help out. And they've been recruiting a lot, especially from the refugee camps and towns they control. Supposedly, they are offering unpolluted farmland for payment as well as housing, food and jobs for their families. "

"I guess that's one thing we probably won't hear in the town hall meetings," Heather figured. A couple hundred residents had left Jericho since the bombs went off, some of them during the winter when food was short and others in the past months heading up to Cheyenne with the offer of better food and security and jobs. They had taken in about that many people as refugees and as family and friends of residents, but due to security concerns, Mayor Anderson wouldn't let anyone else into town without his approval. Still, they were getting concerned that they wouldn't have enough hands to help with the farms and other labor that needed to be completed around town, especially since they didn't have the fuel for tractors and other equipment. Heather hoped that the town charter would pass and hopefully encourage people to stay and get paid for what they did. She knew that Jake wasn't happy that the military seemed eager to entice people to come and work for them, which was probably why they weren't saying much about it to the town.

Ted agreed. "I'm hoping we don't lose any more plant workers because of it. I've been telling the guys that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

"So where did you get all this interest in politics and government all of a sudden?" Heather glanced at Ted curiously. Ted had never liked history much in school.

"Ken's been talking a lot about it." Ted replied.

Ken Richards had been the history teacher at the Jericho high school. He was about their age and single. She remembered Emily introducing her to him at one of the teacher meetings and trying to nudge her in his direction. Ken had been actively involved in the governor's campaign last year. Now they weren't even sure if the Kansas governor was still alive. As far as she knew, Ken was still teaching at the high school as well as helping with the ham radio network. She had noticed Ted talking a lot about Ken since he had arrived in Jericho, though.

"How come this is the first I'm hearing about all this? Not even the Kansas Report has talked anything about government, just mostly local Kansas news." Heather inquired. The Kansas Report was the local news report being broadcast on the AM radio out of Dodge City, but the majority of its reports were about weather, farming, trading and local crime problems and places to avoid. Very little political or government news was usually reported, though it usually seemed favorable of the Cheyenne government in what news it did mention.

"It's being kept pretty quiet and is mostly hearsay. That's why they have been going after people in the Underground, because we're passing on information like this."

"And who ever controls the information..."

"Controls the world." Ted finished for her. "Not even people in Cheyenne know about this and it's happening right there. They are acting like they have representatives from all the states coming to help build the new government, thus the new flag that they use, but it's a farce from what one of the operators is saying. The president is already choosing governors and other officials from those around him to really run things."

"So Jake knows all of this?" Heather slowed as they approached the Green house.

"Some, but not all of it. I haven't had much of a chance to talk to him this past week. What's he been up to?" Ted asked.

Jake had been up and out of the house before she was for the past week, both campaigning for the town charter and in meetings down at the military outpost.

"Planning a major offensive with the military to help them take out one of their Top Ten Most Wanted." Heather sighed, though she made Ted promise not to mention that to anyone. Fortunately, Ted had obviously gotten better at keeping secrets recently.

* * *

"Come on, Bobby!" Jake sat in Bobby O'Neil's living room. Bobby had a small house on the south side of Jericho, what was sometimes referred to as the seedier side of town. "Think about your family. How long will it be before the military finally puts a stop to Jonah and locks you up for it? Who will take care of your family then?" 

For the past twenty minutes, Jake had been trying to convince Bobby to help him get inside information of how Jonah was working now; his manpower, fire power and schedules. He had been waiting for Bobby to get home from work at Jonah's compound before approaching his house. Bobby had been reluctant to even let him through the door but when Jake had started yelling loud enough for the neighbors to hear, he had let him inside. Bobby's house was old and in disrepair. Much of the furniture inside was just as run down. Paint and wallpaper were chipping or missing from the walls. But the house did have power at least and he could detect the odor of dinner being cooked in the kitchen but it didn't smell all that appetizing. It was possible that they didn't have access to some of the new vegetables that were coming into season, though he knew that Jonah was stealing and growing vegetables. Bobby's wife, Karen, had taken off to the kitchen with their two children as soon as Jake had walked in, but the three of them were still watching him and Bobby talk as they sat at the kitchen table pretending to peel potatoes. Jake remembered Karen from high school, a pretty shy girl. Now, she looked thin and tired with dark circles under her eyes. He was sad to see her in this state. They had a little girl and a little boy who both looked a lot like their mother.

"No, I'm already in enough trouble for letting that family get away. Trace beat me up good after that and Jonah has had me doing grunt work all week." Bobby was sitting on the run-down couch with a patched throw cover. He sat on the edge of the seat, visibly distraught. It had taken Jake several minutes to get him to finally sit down and talk.

It had been over a week since Stanley's wedding. Summer had come to Jericho and it was hot and people were getting restless, especially since Jonah had picked up his operations more outside of town. The military was on Jake's case to get Jonah taken care of, one way or another. They were willing to bring in heavy firepower if needed now. Jake was trying to prevent that, worried that Jonah and others might get hurt or killed in the process. Many of Jonah's men still had families in Jericho. Not all of the men were bad. Some of them were just trying to survive in the best way they knew how, just like Bobby O'Neil. If he could convince Bobby to help him, maybe he could still bring Jonah down with the least amount of resistance and casualties.

Jake had taken a seat in the recliner facing the couch. It gave him the advantage of being able to see into the kitchen as well as face Bobby directly. "Come on, Bobby. Is this the kind of life you want for your family? That you want your son to remember? Stealing from others to get by?"

Bobby glanced at his son listening from the kitchen. "Shut up, he doesn't know what I do."

"Then maybe it's time he learned. Or he will soon on his own. Kids at school talk. You and I both know what that's like." Jake had been the runt in their class and Bobby had always been somewhat of an outcast because he had been a slow learner, being dyslexic before they really knew how to deal with it well, especially in a small town like Jericho. They had both been the brunt of the bullies and jeers at school, especially since Jake was the mayor's son until Jake had started fighting back and people started leaving him alone after that. Bobby had never been that lucky until he started working for Jonah, who had taught them both how to fight and win.

"I don't know how to do anything else. What is there to do? There's no jobs anymore. None of the farms will take me." Bobby sounded like he had tried but had given up hope.

"What if I can find you a job? Something steady? And you know Stanley would give you work at the farm in exchange for food for your family. You just have to ask him."

Stanley hadn't been too thrilled when Jake had asked him about this, especially since he had asked him about it at his wedding, but had agreed as a favor to Jake, as long as Bobby did give up working for Jonah and posed no other problems. After talking to Heather, she had offered a position at the wind turbine plant. Most people were too busy farming now and it was hard to get workers at the plant, especially because the work was hard and hot working with metals and the coal furnace. He remembered that Bobby had always been good with his hands, especially in shop class and working on cars at Jonah's. He could do well at the plant if given the chance.

"If you don't help, the military is going to arrest you, or worse, you could get killed if and when they decide to stop Jonah." Jake stated, hoping to get through to the man.

Bobby looked proud and scared at the same time. His back was up against the wall. Jake hated having to threaten him with arresting him, especially right in front of his family. Lieutenant Robbins said they had files on many of Jonah's men already, including Bobby, and could probably prosecute some of them based on eyewitness testimony alone. Rumor had it that they were locking up criminals in prison work camps where conditions were harsh. He didn't want to see Bobby end up there.

"I don't know, Jake." Bobby answered finally. "You know how Jonah is. He isn't very forgiving. What if something goes wrong and he finds out I ratted him out?"

"He's not going to find out." Jake assured him. He had worked out this plan thoroughly, going over it with the Lieutenant Robbins. "All you have to do is help us find out his schedules, his guard set up and where all his firepower is located. Maybe move a few pieces of equipment. You just have to act as normal as possible. We'll do the rest."

A long moment passed as Bobby looked between Jake and his family, deep in thought. At last, he looked at Jake. "All right, I'll do it. But you have to promise me if something happens, you will take care of my family. And that I can find a job here in Jericho again. We have family here and don't wanna leave."

"You have my word." And Jake meant it. He wanted to protect all of Jericho, the good and downtrodden. And finally stopping Jonah Prowse would be a good start at finally removing a painful thorn from everyone's side here in Jericho. If he could get Bobby out of his life of crime, and maybe some of the others if he had his way, all the better.

He shook Bobby's hand to seal the deal and spoke to him briefly about their next steps.

Leaving Bobby's house, Jake walked toward home. He would have time for dinner before needing to head to City Hall for the important town hall meeting tonight. Tonight was the last night for discussion and questions about the town charter before was voted on next week. He would shower and do his best to look a bit more presentable for once as he knew there would be a lot of eyes on him tonight. They needed to get this town charter in place if they had any chance of making it through the summer and fall harvest.

(To be continued...)


	25. Chapter 25

Full Circle, Chapter Twenty Five 

"Quiet down, please!" Jericho Mayor Gray Anderson yelled, tapping the wooden gavel on its matching wooden stand to call the town hall meeting to order. "And please take your seats."

The sun was just beginning to set in the west, its golden rays shining through the windows of the meeting hall. The town hall meeting was packed with standing room only around the outside of the room and people standing several rows deep into the hall. The windows of the room were open barely letting in the cooler air from outside. People were talking loudly in groups, some of them obviously concerned and curious about what was going to be the only topic for tonight's meeting: the last review of the town charter before the vote next week. The reception to the charter thus far was mixed, even after nightly sessions to go over the details of how the plan would work and Jake and Eric spending hours walking out to farms and visiting people at home to go over the charter and get their input and support. Jake had been feeling more like a politician lately, making him appreciate what his father used to go through at every election.

Jake walked to the front of the room. Gray and the rest of the town council were seated at the table at the front of the room. He passed Heather, Gail and Mary sitting together near the front of the room. He noticed that Ted was sitting next to Heather. Jake took a place off to the side to stand next to Eric as Mayor Anderson tried to get people to settled down. Glancing about the room, he saw many familiar faces except for a few that were noticeably absent. He knew that Stanley and Mimi weren't going to be here tonight as they weren't going to be back from their honeymoon until tomorrow. He could have used Stanley's calming presence tonight, especially to help talk with the farmers. He was surprised that Emily wasn't here, as she usually attended the weekly meetings. Colonel Hoffman had asked if they wanted their new military liaison, Lt. Brady, present tonight but Jake had suggested that that wouldn't be necessary. They needed to do this on their own.

Gray tapped again with the gavel, the sound echoing loudly. "Come on now, we have a lot of business to discuss tonight. Everyone settle down please."

Slowly, people began to quiet down and a few more took their seats. Finally, it was calm enough and many pairs of eyes were now looking at Gray, or looking at Jake and Eric and the town council, a group of four men and one women, people elected every two years to help with the running of Jericho. They were due up for re-election this fall but thankfully all of them had supported the town charter, a couple of them reluctantly. If it didn't work, there was a lot more riding on it than a few people's political power in Jericho... the town's very survival could depend on it.

Gray began to speak at least once the room was mostly quiet. "I call this Town Hall Meeting of Jericho to order, on this day, June 19, 2007. You all know our only topic for tonight. Any other outstanding issues will be discussed after the vote next week. If it can't wait until then, talk to Eric or a deputy and we'll address it on a first come, first serve basis."

Jake was glad to see Gray taking charge tonight on the charter. The mayor had been hesitant to buy into the idea at first, but with the government demanding supplies and with the level of unrest and problems in town rising as spring turned into summer, Gray had realized that they needed something to help them make it through the rest of the year, if not longer. Jake and Eric had been doing most of the work on the charter thus far, though in recent weeks, Gray and the town council had finally stepped up to take ownership of it.

Gray picked up a thick document off the table in front of him and waved it in the air before setting it back down. "So our topic for tonight will be the last discussion on the Town Charter of Jericho 2007, Final Draft 2.4 which has been posted outside the mayor's office for final review for the last week. I'm sorry we've not been able to make many copies for everyone to read, but the final copy will also be posted at the high school and community center."

Jake looked over the crowd, noticing how divided they looked. Many of the business owners and teachers were seated in the chairs, usually with their spouses, while many of the farmers were near the back of the room. They were usually a quiet shy bunch but Jake was encouraged that there seemed to be a good number of them here. Most of the people present tonight had the most to gain from the charter, including teachers, nurses, sanitation and utility workers and most importantly, the many volunteers such as border patrol and those helping coordinate the distribution of rations and goods. They would be the easy votes. More difficult would be the votes from the farmers and business owners, especially those who could trade outside of Jericho. But in the end, everyone in Jericho needed to eat and get medical care and benefited from law enforcement and keeping strangers out of town. The charter would help with those and Jake hoped that people would recognize that. The lack of fuel and manpower was a problem everyone shared, farmers, businesses and volunteers alike. With the charter, people would have more motivation to work to help out each other, as they would get credit for it that could be reimbursed for other services they needed. And likewise, businesses would get the labor they needed. Between it all, Jake hoped that it would be enough to keep the town working and able to harvest and process enough food to get them through the long months of winter as well as help provide for better manned law enforcement and border patrol.

Gray continued, glancing about the room. "Any final questions, concerns or points requiring further clarification you have on the Town Charter, now's the time to bring them up. I know many of you have not attended all of our discussion meetings we've been having the past few weeks, so now's a good time to ask questions. All right, let's start it off. Questions you might have, any points needing clarification, etc."

Jake knew that many people were busy, but yet the attendance on some of the discussion meetings hadn't been that good despite all their attempts to get people involved in the planning process. Many people had offered good ideas that had changed the drafts of their document, many of it based on decades of careful accounting of the farms and businesses, as well as the ideas from the books on tenant farming he and Eric had gleaned from library books. For the past month, Jake, Eric and the town charter committee had often been out visiting with people, talking to them before and after church, and at the schools and larger businesses, talking about the charter and soliciting input into its creation.

"How many units of work am I going to get for working on the border patrol?" A man asked. Jake recognized him as one of the refugees that had come to town with Roger. He didn't recognize everyone on the border patrol now, especially since some of the ex-military men had stepped up to handle the boot camp and ongoing operations.

"The work unit charts are posted outside the mayor's office on the bulletin board. They will stay up there and be revised as needed." Eric answered.

"Who's going to make these revisions? How do we know you're not just going to change them on the fly?" Mrs. Carmichael asked. Mrs. Carmichael had been suspicious of the charter, despite her husband's support of it.

Gray replied. "Any revisions to work units or trade units will have to be approved by the charter committee. We will keep an eye on how things actually work when we put this into practice, so there may be a number of adjustments as we get started, but all changes will also be posted. Any requests for adjustment will have to be submitted in paper with the reasons why and reviewed and if needed, made by the committee. They will only be made once a week, not on the fly."

They had a few accountants using the working computers in City Hall to track and calculate the work units using a computer spreadsheet program. Long term, one of the computer programmers in town was working on writing a better program for tracking everything, but that was going to take time.

A woman carrying a small child in her arms called from near the back. "How are we going to get paid for child care or schooling?"

"You get units of work or goods that you can trade to others for services. Each week, a list of trades and work units will be sent to City Hall for tracking and calculation. Reports will be posted outside the mayor's office this week or available on request as time permits." Eric answered.

Jake finally jumped in. "So work in the schools teaching children or at the med clinic or even work at utilities or at the plant will account for something and you'll be able to cash in your units of work to buy foods and supplies and credit at the med clinic as you need it. Since we don't have cash or other things to trade, you'll be able to use your credits for rations or services from others."

"And how are we supposed to keep track of how much a credit a person has? It's not like phones are workin'!" Terrence Bath asked. He owned the hardware store. He had stayed in business due to trading with other towns for supplies. Heather and Ted were hoping to start supplying him with metal goods once they had the metallurgy part of the wind turbine plant working.

There were a few laughs at that.

Ted's group of friends were working on fixing enough computers and networking them using old equipment that they hoped to have the businesses on Main Street online in a shared network by the end of July. The rest would take longer but they planned to extend their network out to the med center and several other government offices and businesses on the outskirts of town. For now, the plan was to use paper for tracking the numbers.

"As we get started, you'll have to go on the weekly printed list that will come out from City Hall each week. This list will be provided to all those businesses and farms providing food and other goods. There will be a bit of a honor system for that, but as each business provides a weekly update, the totals will be tallied and those abusing the system or going over their credit will have to talk to the town hall committee, or worse, end up doing community service to repay what they owe."

Jake hated having to add in a discipline section to the charter, but the committee had insisted. As much as they'd like to believe in the good of people, there were always some that pushed the envelope, intentionally or not.

"And what if you don't do nothin'? " said a quiet voice in back. "This is going to be public? I don't want my neighbors knowing I'm a slacker."

There was a murmur of concern and a few chuckles.

"Then this is the time to prove to them that you aren't." Jake said. "We are all going to need to chip in to make this work and help everyone make it through this fall and winter. No one wants to go through what we did last winter, do they?"

Jake remembered the long, cold months where they barely had enough food to survive. People had died from the cold and malnutrition had been a problem. He didn't want to scare people into voting for the charter, but he knew, deep in his heart, that this was probably the best chance to make sure they had enough hands to harvest the food and keep the rest of the services in Jericho working so that they wouldn't have a repeat of last winter.

"What if you can't work?" An elderly woman asked.

"There will still be base rations to everyone who needs them as well as services for those that really do need them." Eric answered. "They will still be tracked and those will count against the town credits. But anyone that can work is strongly encouraged to. There will be a list of jobs posted weekly for those that need help, especially the farms. You'd be surprised where you might be able to do work, simple things like babysitting, paperwork for the charter or even folding clothes down at the med center count."

There was going to be a lot of work that needed to be done, especially out on the farms for things such as preparing fruits and vegetables for processing. His mother and some of the other women in town had drafted up a list of many of the tasks where people could work, many of them could be done by just about anyone, even the elderly and the young. They had made a policy that children under fourteen could only put in so many hours of work and all children were required to attend some school, even through the summer since they had missed many hours in the winter.

"What about this percentage that comes off the top?" One of the farmers, George Brown asked that from near the back.

"Ten percent of all work credits or trade good credits will go toward the town government to help with services such as police department, as well as the border patrol and for taking care of those unable to work." Eric replied. Some of that credit would also go to help support the med center and schools.

"A lot of good that seems to be doing us lately. You still haven't stopped Jonah Prowse from breaking down my fence when his crew passes through to avoid your road blocks." A voice called from the back hallway and a number of people agreed with him and voices were raised with murmurs and heated discussions.

"Quiet down!" Gray called, tapping his gavel again.

Jake shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He didn't want to give away that he was working on taking care of Jonah Prowse. The town charter was his baby, from its infancy to the twenty five page document that he and Eric and many others had spent endless hours defining and refining. He spoke up, a bit more forcefully. "Look, we're trying to get to the bottom of fixing all those things, but its going to take time. This charter is the first step toward that. If everyone has a way toward helping each other out and getting credit for it, people will be more likely to work together and harder, and will be able to trade for goods and we'll be able to pay for better law enforcement."

"Maybe we should just get the military to help with that. They seem to be doing a better job anyway." Said another voice.

Jake groaned inwardly. He had stopped a lot of the outside organized groups, but Jonah's group was the big one. But people still didn't have confidence in Jericho's government that they had a handle on things. The deputies and Eric were still overrun with complaints ranging from theft, to disputes over property lines, to stealing plants from vegetable gardens.

"If the military does that, they will take over everything, the running of schools, how you run your farms, what time you have to be off the streets at night, do you really want that?" Jake tried to keep his voice calm. He didn't want to scare people, especially with everything he knew and had heard about what the government was doing in other towns. He reminded himself to calm down.

A few people shook their heads.

Eric spoke up. "Then lets give this charter a chance, see if we can make it work. It's better than doing nothing like we have had up until now. That and we'll be in a better position to trade with other towns instead of everyone doing it on their own."

Clarence Jackson, who owned one of the larger wheat farms west of town, asked. "And what do we do if the government comes back and wants more from us? We barely have enough as it is."

They had already sent part of their winter wheat harvest and several shipments of salt to Cheyenne as the government requested. They had yet to see anything in return and people were well aware of that.

"Then using the charter system, we'll be able to track what resources we do have and tell the government that we can't afford to send anymore." Jake replied. "If we do have extra, we can also trade it with other towns for things we do need."

"But why should someone get credit working in the plant when those wind turbines are just going to be traded away to other towns?" Another man asked. He ran a dry cleaning business in town and had had to shut down his business due to lack of customers.

Jake knew that there was some resistance in town to the plant making wind turbines when farms desperately needed the manpower. Many saw it still as a commercial venture. Heather's plant had also been using services and skills from the auto shops and other small businesses in town for special materials needed for the production lines they had been constructing.

Heather stood up to answer that one. turning around to face the speaker and most of those in the meeting hall. "The first wind turbines are going to help supplement power for the rest of town as well as outlying farms. Any turbines we make for trade will count as credits that will go both toward the workers in the plant as well as to the government budget to help for trading for goods we can't get through normal means, such as medicine, fuel and products like fertilizer, glass, and plastic." As Heather sat down, Jake noticed Ted squeezing her hand and whispering something in her ear as he smiled at her affectionately.

Jake reminded everyone. "We also haven't been charging you for electricity, gas or water up until this point. Your ten percent will also go toward keeping these services up and running."

"How are we supposed to give you ten percent of everything and pay Dale Turner a percentage as well? That's a good cut of what we make." Will Carter asked. He was one of the farmers who had been struggling to keep his farm operational.

"Under this system, you won't have to pay anyone but us the ten percent." Jake answered, staring at the back corner where Dale Turner and and Skylar Stevens were standing together. Neither looked happy, but Dale hadn't liked the charter at all from what rumors said. Several of the men that worked for Dale stood near them.

"Tell that to Dale and his thugs. He's holding us at gun point to agreements made years ago with Gracie Leigh. And we're not getting anything back that we can't get elsewhere on our own nowadays." Will Carter scoffed and there were nods of agreement.

Jake knew that the farmers had had agreements with Gracie Leigh to give a percentage of their crops in return for discounts on seed, fertilizer and groceries. Dale's little agreement routine was still going on and had mostly been under the radar thus far though lately more and more farmers had been filing complaints that Dale or his men would come to collect their goods at gun point. Jake knew he was going to have to do something about that soon, but if the town charter passed, that would put an end to Dale's little racket. Dale would have to buy into the system with his business and the farms he was running or he would be cut out. That was part of the rules of the agreement.

"Old agreements will be null and void if this passes." Eric stated. "And we will enforce that."

There was a positive buzz about the room. Obviously, that idea was a plus for the charter. Jake wondered just how many people Dale had been harassing or if anyone else was running some sort of similar racket in town.

Bradly Morris, the owner of the stone quarry outside Jericho, asked. "And how will town goods be traded? Will we be on our own still?"

Gray answered that one. "We will set up a special independent council to assist with trades made outside of town if you want their help. Everyone offering up goods for trade will be a part of the end negotiations. Common goods like salt, ore and farm goods will be reviewed by the council. You can trade on your own as long as we keep track of it, or you can let the team we are putting together help negotiate for you. We have several people set up that are ready to handle many of these deals and have good connections for trade."

Jake knew that Russell from New Bern had been a big part of that, working for Gray and others in trade deals. Jake saw Russell standing in the back of the room. He hadn't seen much of the man in the past months. Russell had moved to Jericho permanently with his little girl a few months ago. The man had good relationships with several other towns as well as trading posts throughout Kansas and the surrounding states. The only place he couldn't go was Black Jack, so he sent other men there instead. They tended to shy away from questionable trading centers, however, and Black Jack was becoming one of those.

The next half hour passed with additional questions and clarification from those in attendance and everyone answered them to the best of their ability. There were questions on how food would be tracked and distributed as they had been distributing food so far from the church. They were planning on moving the food center to an old warehouse off Main Street where it could be stored and even refrigerated using the rebuilt freezers that they were moving into place. They were planning on setting up similar distribution centers for other goods, such as salt, wood, and metals in other parts of town.

In the end, several people stood up to voice their support for the charter or against it and their reasons why. Local merchants including Mary stood up and voiced their support for the plan, expressing their need to keep their businesses functional. Most of those in the service side of things were more supportive since they had the most to gain, such as payment for their services including a rightful share of rations. Farmers and businesses that still produced tradable goods were the hard sell, but Stanley and Gray both had been negotiating with both groups to convince them that this was in the best interest of everyone, especially if they didn't have any fuel to help with the harvest and moving of goods.

"And what will we do if things get back to normal again?" It was one of the last questions asked.

It was one of the questions that often came up. There were many that still expected things to return to normal, especially after the military had come. But as the weeks had slowly passed and as news trickled in from outside that the rest of the country was still in bad shape, people had come around to realizing that they did need to stand on their own. The government had bigger problems to worry about and Jericho was in relatively good shape compared to many other towns.

"We'll play it by ear. If things do return to normal again, then we can phase out the town charter with another vote." Eric explained. "And let's all hope and pray that things do get back to normal."

The meeting had lasted nearly two hours before people ran out of questions and Gray adjourned the meeting, encouraging people to read the entire charter and still come to the nightly meetings at the high school or to come see them in City Hall if they still had questions. People slowly began leaving. Jake lost sight of Heather and his mother, but walked alongside Mary and Eric as they exited the meeting room.

On their way out the door, Jake caught sight of Dale Turner and Skylar Stevens downstairs with a small group of farmers arguing. He couldn't hear what they were saying due to the voices around him. He heard Eric stopping to answer a question behind him. As soon as Jake started heading down the stairs, Dale saw him and hushed the conversation with a hand and Jake heard the young man say that they would talk about it later.

"Dale, what's going on?" Jake asked before Dale could leave.

"Nothing, I was just talking with a few of the others that don't like this charter idea at all." Dale stared at him defiantly.

"You can't make everyone agree to this. This is why you are voting on it." Skylar piped up.

Jake tried to contain his anger wishing he could knock some sense into these two naive teenagers that probably shouldn't be on their own. These two had been a nuisance for months, something he had been trying to avoid dealing with. Maybe that was a mistake. He may have let Dale get too powerful and full of himself and secure in the little kingdom he had been building. Again, Jake wished his father were here. He would have been able to help Dale more than Jake had the time and patience for."That's true, but you know the risks if you do not agree to it. No town support, no food, no med center, no law enforcement unless you pay for it. You will be on your own."

"I've been on my own for months. I don't need this town's support." Dale stuck his chin up with more confidence that he probably had.

"You say that now, but what if someone gets hurt? What if you need power?" Jake asked, trying to keep from yelling. There were still people coming down the stairs and a few people slowed near them, listening in on their conversation.

Dale replied, "I have a generator and have been trading for fuel. The turbine plant owes me for the machinery parts I was able to trade for. I'm first up to get a wind turbine once they start making them to sell as well as the windmill generators. We'll trade for whatever else we need."

Jake knew he and Skylar had been taking her percentage of the salt to sell to other towns. Gray wasn't happy about it but without a working court to dispute Skylar's right of ownership, his hands had been tied. People were already upset that the mine's salt was being taken by the government as well as traded for goods that some found questionable such as materials for the wind turbine plant. Heather had told him about the deal she had had to make with Dale to get the parts they were going to need for the wind turbine generators. They would need metals, wires and conductors that they couldn't easily manufacture for a while yet. It would allow them to produce wind turbines in weeks instead of months.

"And I don't see anything different with this town charter than what I've been doing. If you refuse to let me pay the med center or farmers for things I will need, that's blackmail."

"Unlike what you've been doing to the other farmers all this time?" Jake argued vehemently. When Dale gave him a doubtful look, he added. "No, it's the honest truth. Forcing them at gunpoint or threatening their families is not the same thing."

"Gracie had deals with all these people. I'm just holding them up to their agreements." Dale stated.

"Agreements that became null and void when she died and when the bombs happened and you no longer had anything worth giving them credit for." Jake knew how the old credit system worked. Gracie kept track of tabs at her store. Farmers who had to rely on irregular income often kept a running credit at the store, or exchanged goods for groceries or other goods Gracie sold. Though some people still used the store for trading, that had largely diminished especially since they had switched to using the church for distributing rations. The church's community center had now become a trading center for selling and trading goods. He was hoping that would move to the old warehouse once they got it ready.

Dale stared at him. "You're just jealous because I've been making this work all on my own."

"No, Dale. I've been worried about you and Skylar, that the two of you are getting in over your head and might not be able to get yourself out if something bad happens." Jake answered honestly. It was something he was all too familiar with. He had spent most of life thus far screwing up. He didn't want to see Dale fall into the same trap. From what Jake had heard, Dale had a few questionable men working for him as well was getting involved in the trade of illegal goods.

"We can take care of ourselves," Skylar retorted. She had remained mostly silent throughout this argument, but had grown more and more angry and impatient looking as time passed. "Come on, Dale, let's get out of here."

She grabbed Dale by the arm, but the young man gave Jake a confused look as he looked over his shoulder on the way out. Several of Dale's hired hands followed them. People began filing past, assuming their heated discussion was finally over. Jake noticed a few nods and smiles of approval in his direction, however.

"And don't be trying to convince anyone else that you're going to protect them any better than we can," Jake called as they left. "If you influence anyone else's vote on this, I will hear about it."

After they left, Jake paced around the small foyer of City Hall trying to calm down. People came down the steps and some said a few parting words to him before leaving out the door. A handful of people were actually reading the charter posted on the bulletin boards they had had hung on the walls around the first floor of City Hall specifically for the charter. He saw Ted come down the steps deep in a conversation with Harry Carmichael about one of the production lines at the turbine plant. Ted and Harry both nodded at Jake as they passed by.

Finally, he heard Heather's familiar voice as she came down the steps with his mother. His attention perked up at the sound of her voice, a subtle thrill going through him. Eric and Mary were right behind Heather and Gail. Heather was talking about the turbine plant and how most of the workers were already enthusiastic about the plan so far. Jake knew she had been out campaigning for the charter for weeks along with all of them.

"Well, how do you think we did?" Jake asked Gail. His mother often had a good feeling for how the people were feeling about town.

"You did good, but not sure how many are still really listening and taking this seriously yet," Gail replied.

"I guess we'll find out for sure next week," Mary said.

The official vote for the Town Charter was set for next Tuesday. All those of legal voting age, eighteen and older, were allowed to vote. Dale had requested a concession be made on his behalf as well as that of Skylar Stevens since both of them were business owners and not yet eighteen. Gray had reluctantly agreed and asked that the voting rules be modified for this vote only.

"I don't know, maybe they just need proof that this is really going to work, that we are trying to improve things and make this be beneficial for everyone," Eric suggested. "A lot of the farmers are still reluctant to sign on, despite all of Stanley's hard work convincing them."

"Well, it doesn't help that Dale Turner has been trying to turn them all against it." Jake complained. He felt a soft hand in his and felt Heather standing next to him. She offered him a smile of support and squeezed his hand. Sometimes all he needed was the feel of her next to him to make things not seem as bad. Her presence and support lifted his spirit.

"Is there anyone he hasn't tried to extort goods from?" Eric wondered aloud. Jake knew his brother had a long complaint list about Dale's so-called business practices. Gray had asked them to keep it quiet, leery of raising attention about Skylar's share of the salt mine as well as wary of making them look bad for being unable to put a stop to it yet. Dale had a group of about thirty men working on his farm and some of the other farms he had been acquiring lately. He had been trying to maintain Gracie's old store agreements as well, though they only had worth of mouth complaints about how he was going about enforcing them. There was no legal way to stop it, especially if no farmers were willing to come forth and request that it stop. The town charter might finally give them that power.

"Come on, let's go home." Gail said heading out the door. "I've had enough politics for tonight."

Eric gave Jake a knowing smile. They knew his mother hated when they got into their long discussions about the town. Gail had a standing rule that town business was not to be discussed at the dinner table and she often put a stop to it at the house unless it was important. Eric and Mary left them to head back to Mary's apartment over the tavern and Gail, Jake and Heather walked the rest of the way to the Green house together.

As they had arrived at home, Gail headed inside and Jake stopped with Heather just outside, her soft hand still in his.

"Wanna go for a walk?" He asked, looking up at the night sky. It was a warm summer night and the barest sliver of a moon was setting in the west. They both had dressed up for tonight's meeting and he appreciated the cute short sleeve top Heather wore. It gave him an appealing look at her cleavage.

"Sure." Heather gave him a knowing smile. They often talked about town business during their time alone. She was a good listener and often had good advice for him on how to deal with difficult matters.

"I'll leave the light on for you." Gail called from the door.

"How did things go with Bobby O'Neil?" Heather asked as they walked down the street. They often went on walks that ended up in the park at the end of street. There were park benches outside the children's playground where they would often sit and talk for hours, especially since the weather had started warming up.

"It took some convincing, but he's going to do it." The idea of using Bobby to spy on Jonah had been his, but Heather had offered up the job at the plant which had given him a good bargaining chip.

"Good. You're getting rather good at this negotiating thing." Heather pointed out. And he had been doing a lot of the negotiating for the charter lately, helping finalize the rates and other rules with those on the charter committee.

"Well, I had his back pretty hard up against a virtual wall." Jake admitted. He didn't like playing the bad guy to get what he needed. He remembered the terrified looks on Bobby's wife and children's faces.

"Are you sure about this? Taking down Jonah?"

He had been talking to Heather about it for the past week. She hadn't been surprised when he brought it up, but he knew she was worried about it. "No, but it's gotta get done, by me or the military. If we can do it with a minimal amount of casualties, that will be better."

"Minimal amount of casualties?" Heather echoed back at him. "Now you're starting to sound like a military man."

They had reached the park and Heather led him over to their favorite park bench. It gave a beautiful view of the night sky and was mostly dark except for a few dim street lights and house lights around them. He sat down alongside her, putting his arm around her shoulders. Heather laid her head on his shoulder and relaxed against him. She felt soft and warm and smelled wonderful. He wondered if she had showered after coming home from the plant tonight.

"You know, all kinds of things could go wrong. " Heather said, still talking about Jonah. "He has mortars and God knows what else there now. Emily said she heard that he had gotten hold of a tank and-"

"Ssh," Jake whispered softly against her hair as he squeezed her hand where their hands lay entwined on his thigh. He knew how Heather was when she was worried. "It will be okay. We're taking all the precautions that we can. With Bobby's help, we'll be able to find out where all his firepower is and his schedules. Plus, I will have body armor and I won't be with the squads going in. I'm still a civilian."

"You will be careful on this, right?" Heather asked after several long seconds of silence.

"I will, I promise." He said. He felt his own voice rumbling in his chest where her head rested against him. Her head was just above his heart. Her hand stroked his thigh, nearly distracting him with other thoughts.

He knew she was a worrier. It was one of the first things he had learned about Heather. Though she didn't always say anything, he would see it in her eyes when he would leave to go on another of his missions with the military or when he was going out to meet Hawkins. She would often get very talkative and offer suggestions and alternatives when she was worried. While he found it adorable when she did that, it also amazed him that someone cared and worried about him so much. She made him feel needed and with the things he was doing, for Jericho and the surrounding area and his work with Hawkins, he knew that he was doing things that did make a difference and would make things safer for her and the rest of those he cared about.

If only it didn't take so long. Hawkins had said that these things took time and he was right. Jake had never been good on patience. With Emily's help so far, they had been able keep tabs on the status of their searches and interviews in and around Jericho. Hawkins had been able to get a job working for a company that transferred goods for the government but that only gave him limited information and access in Cheyenne. The military had scaled back their search for Hawkins over the past two months when they couldn't find an solid leads on where he may have gone. Lt. Williams received his promotion and had been up in Cheyenne for the past week. Jake had almost got him to admit that he was looking for the package when he talked to him at the wedding, but it wasn't enough for him to have anything to share with Hawkins yet. Now, Emily was going to have to keep working on getting close with their new liaison, or even better, possibly get a job up in Cheyenne within the government. Lt. Williams was supposed to work on that for her.

The news in the past weeks from the ham radio network called the Underground wasn't that promising either and Gray Anderson had asked them to limit who found out what they heard. Most of the news seemed to be about the Cheyenne government and what they were up, usually military operations securing towns and old military bases and their recruitment for the army they were building. They mentioned how some of the western cities were holding up and the news was rarely good. The Mexican and Canadian borders had been closed since last year, yet people were still able to cross into Canada due to the lack of enough resources to guard the excessively long border. But then again, come winter time not many people were going to be wanting to be in Canada due to the cold weather and lack of food and limited power. The Eastern government had moved across the Mississippi River and were starting to take over towns and military bases. The Cheyenne government was starting to move its own military to do the same in the territory it controlled.

Also in the radio reports there were news about the kinds of crimes going on and places to avoid due to them. Slavery was prevalent, especially in California, Nevada and Arizona. Las Vegas had been slowly turning into a cesspool of even worse gambling, sex trading and illegal trading, especially weapons. Illegal drugs, especially heroin and marijuana were highly tradable and had become a form of currency for anyone able to get a hold of them. Gangs had stripped homes, businesses, stores and manufacturing plants for anything that could be sold and traded. There was a serious problem of goods damaged by radiation as well as diseases such as cholera, dysentery and E coli spreading due to tainted food and the lack of sanitary conditions. Refugee camps were in terrible condition though many of them were being hosted in college campuses and schools. As people left the cities and towns, they were starting to stake out farmland in the west and sell it to the highest bidder. Property rights were set by whoever could defend the land that they were on. What couldn't be bought were being taken by force, sometimes even by the military.

The news about the rest of the world and Eastern government came in smalls snippets that were always prefaced by the warning that none of it could be substantiated. Many of the things that Hawkins had told him had been true, that the Eastern government had been slowly trying to recover and rebuild in New York City and Columbus, Ohio. The former United States capitol, Washington D.C., including the Capitol, White House and Supreme Court had been destroyed. They said that Andrews Air Force base had only taken partial damage by the nuclear bomb, but had been hit by radiation. The Navy was being appropriated by both governments by whichever port they called home. Many of the surviving military bases around the country had been consolidated into local government meeting places as well as a gathering place for refuges since they could be defended better than cities.

Jake was grateful that Jericho was mostly secluded from all the happenings outside of town. It was depressing to think about.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Heather asked, lifting her head to look up at him.

"You really have a penny?" He teased her. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen a coin. Well, maybe the ones they used to refill the jukebox at Bailey's, but those were just recycled to keep the jukebox playing.

"I have a whole jar of them at my house," she answered.

"That's a lot of thoughts," Jake often shared his thoughts with Heather, with the exception of what he was really up to on his trips out of town and what he was doing with Hawkins. He knew that bothered her, so he often had to be careful about how much he told her at times. "Nah, I was just thinking about everything, the country and how things have gotten so bad. I would have never thought that we would be so on our own for so long."

"Well, we took a lot of things for granted," Heather said.

"Yeah. And we shouldn't have. I just hope this charter will pass so we can try and become better at being on our own."

"I think it will."

"You think?" Jake wasn't so sure, especially after all the questions and the way Dale was behaving. But he was never as good at reading people as Heather and his mother. "I wasn't so sure after all those questions tonight."

"They were good questions and people were interested. They just needed clarification and those who hadn't been to all the meetings needed to see what it was all about. You did good in answering their questions, you all did."

"Thanks," Jake replied, rubbing Heather's arm. Her support and praise meant a lot to him, though lately, he had been worried as she had been a bit distant for the past week. She was likely still upset about how he had had to treat her at the wedding. Or it could be that they both were too busy.

"And you need to talk to Ted about the news from the Underground when you can."

"What about?

"Nothing urgent, just things about the government you might be interested in."

"Want to fill me in?"

Heather shook her head. "You have enough to worry about with Jonah and the charter. This will wait."

That was one thing he was learning to appreciate with Heather. She was careful not to overwhelm him too much with information. Emily used to be at him nonstop with every single issue or matter whether he thought it was important or not. Heather seemed more likely to share the responsibility for what was going on with Jericho with him. He hated having to keep the things from her that he did. But it also worried him that she internalized too many things. In that, they were both a lot a like.

Heather was smiling up at him, her lips drawing enticingly close to his. She stopped inches from his own lips. She whispered softly, her breath warm against his face. "Enough talk about business."

Jake chuckled and he met her lips with his, nibbling softly, her lips parting invitingly. He kissed her, loving her taste and the feel of her soft lips against his.

Heather pulled away briefly, getting up to quickly climb onto his lap, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as she kissed him again. Her thighs and rear were soft against him, but he felt her thigh muscles clasping on him and he groaned as her hips came closer to his, pressing suggestively against him. Her chest met his and he felt the softness of her breasts. He ran his hands through her silky hair and down her back, pulling her tighter against him. She shuddered as his hand stroked down her spine. She moaned softly in her throat and against his lips as they continued to kiss, tongues meeting, teasing and exploring. She tasted like heaven.

Jake had been enjoying their little make out sessions over the past several months. He had been trying to take things slowly, wary of her lack of experience and her bad experience in New Bern, but lately it had been Heather who had been more aggressive. He loved it. He knew that most guys often jumped into bed with a girl after a few dates, but he was finding this slow build up of passion between them delightful and intriguing. He wanted her, badly at times. He was becoming quite used to cold showers. But he wanted to do things right. He wanted them to be together because they were meant to be, not just because they would be good in bed together. It was getting harder to maintain his discipline, especially with Heather's intriguing mixture of innocence and eager passion.

Not long after they had started their relationship, Heather had confessed to him that she was a virgin and while he was not surprised, he was also aware of the responsibility that required from him. He and Emily had lost their virginity to each other in the back of his car when he was seventeen. It had been a terrible experience for both of them but things had gotten better after that. He wanted Heather's first time to be better than that and for that, he was willing to wait until she was ready. Heather had said she had been waiting for marriage and the right guy, but seeing how much things had changed lately, she was willing to see how things went. Jake found he respected her more for that. He didn't believe that there were women out there that still thought like that, but Heather was unique in many ways, to her strong beliefs in what was right and moral, from the way she dove headlong into tackling problems, to how she was able to fix most things that men would find a threat to their manliness, to her positive outlook on life. And her dragging him to church on Sundays reminded him that there was more to a relationship than hanging out or being good in bed together. A relationship took work and commitment and Heather was teaching that to him. That and patience.

As he kissed her back with equal passion, he felt his worries and tension slipping away until there was only the two of them in their own little world. He was enjoying her forwardness tonight, but he wondered why she had been more aggressive lately. Their passionate kissing slowed until Heather pulled back to wrap her arms around his neck and shoulders hugging him hard as she rested her head on his shoulder. He held her for a long time, inhaling her familiar scent and memorizing the feel of her body pressed against him. He was getting used to this. Yes, very much so.

(To be continued...)


	26. Chapter 26

Full Circle, Chapter Twenty Six 

_Warning: Profanity and violence in this chapter. _

Sunrise was still an hour away not that they were going to be able to see it. Even in the dark of night, Jake could see thick clouds overhead. It had stopped raining a few hours ago but he could still hear the runoff soaking noisily into the ground as well as the slow steady drips of water falling off the leaves of the trees around them. The sounds would come in handy to help cover the sounds of their movements.

Positioned at the top of a hill several hundred yards away from Jonah Prowse's compound, Jake looked through night vision binoculars and could make out the shapes of the soldiers moving into place just out of reach of the compound's lights. Much of the compound was fairly well lit thanks to the power from a wind turbine Jonah had acquired. The wind turbine was clicking as it spun in the wind. The ones in Jericho typically weren't that noisy. From what Bobby had told them, Jonah had stolen the turbine from New Bern but didn't have anyone that knew how to maintain it properly, despite efforts to fix it, and it had slowly been making more noise over the past several months. They also knew that Jonah still had a generator as well as solar power units he had stolen from the military. But someone would have to start the generator to make it work and they had taken that into account with their planning. It was Sunday morning and Jonah's men often partied and drank late on Saturday nights. They were about to take advantage of that, too.

Next to Jake, Lt. Robbins and Captain Salinski from the 10th Special Forces Group were coordinating the final movements of their combined Special Forces and soldier squadrons now positioned surrounding the compound. The muddy ground was going to slow down movements and could cause problems, but Jake had been assured that the SFG was equipped to handle it. They had nearly fifty trained soldiers armed and ready for this attack. Like Jake, they all wore dark body armor, Interceptor body armor made of Kevlar, and helmets equipped with built-in radio headsets and protective eyewear. A few miles away, Jake knew that the Jericho fire department was slowly moving into position, standing by in case anything went wrong. Jonah had a large fuel supply on site, including several tanker trucks, not to mention a number of explosives and if anything went wrong, he wanted them ready.

Thanks to Bobby O'Neill, they had hours of surveillance video to use in their planning. Several days ago, they had hooked Bobby up with a video camera in his John Deere hat and a microphone and earphone so they could instruct him where to walk and check out things for them. Jake already knew Jonah's compound fairly well, having spent hours working there when he was younger, but he didn't know how much had changed in the years he had been away. Jonah had been operating his trucking company out of this compound for years, but skirting a few steps ahead of the law most of the time for his side business of crime. These days, he didn't have to worry about the police or FBI coming to search his place. He was impressed at how well Bobby had done, the man using his old act of pretending to be dumb to casually move about the compound. Bobby was not very popular with Jonah and many of the men working for him so they mostly ignored him as he went about his usual routine of fixing things and cleaning up at the compound in addition to occasional side trips into buildings to help them pinpoint their layout as well as their security and weapon set up.

Jonah had the mortar launcher set up on the roof of the compound and had several artillery guns mounted on various buildings that were manned twenty four hours a day. Now they also knew Jonah's schedule, where his weapons were stored and where the men slept. Bobby had also assisted in re-positioning a few of the trucks in the compound to help cover their movements when they moved in. Using the government satellites, they were able to watch the compound for several days, monitoring the movements and pinpointing the location of resources, including the outbuildings that Jonah used for storage and for farming. Jonah now had thirty five men working for him, though ten of them typically left each night to go to their homes in the area, including Bobby, and several of them were often out running goods. That left about twenty men in the compound. Six of them were on guard duty with three of them stationed near the artillery guns and one near the mortar launcher. Jonah had a tank parked with its gun aimed at the main gate. Jonah was ready to ward off most attacks from other gangs, but would he have any surprises for something on the scale of the military when they came knocking? Jake had wondered if Jonah had been suspicious when the other gangs started getting shutdown, but Bobby had said that Jonah thought they would leave him alone since he didn't kill or hurt people typically. Jonah was wrong and the determination that the government wanted Jonah Prowse stopped even surprised Jake.

Jake wondered if the amount of firepower they had brought would be overkill. It had seemed easy being able to observe and plan out this operation, probably the most complex attack he had done yet with the military so far. Then again, most of the groups they had taken out didn't have mortars and a tank. He almost felt guilty that they were likely to still have the upper hand against Jonah. Bobby had told him that Jonah did have several rooms inside that were off limits and Jake couldn't remember what may have been in those rooms in the past. They planned to send in several soldiers trained for it to help secure some of the weapon caches that they knew of. He also knew Jonah had several underground bunkers where he used to store and hide contraband. With explosives and fuel tanks on the compound, many things could still go wrong.

Like most of their gang operations thus far, Jake was to stay back with the officers and help with the coordination of attack. He was still a civilian in their eyes, though he had received some training while down at the outpost, especially when the Special Forces Group was around. Regardless, he felt the adrenaline and excitement pounding through his body. They were finally going to take out Jonah. He had mixed feelings at what they were about to do. Jonah had been like a father to him for many years, being there for him and not judging him like his own father always had. It had been comforting at the time, but in hindsight he saw how Jonah had just been using him, trying to mold him into another of his men, another tool to get what he wanted in the world. Emily had suspected that Jonah was also corrupting her brother Chris and bringing him in to participate in Jonah's crime business. Then Jake had refused to be a major part of that robbery job that night Chris had been killed. Maybe he wouldn't have died if Jake had been there, but Jake had drawn the line at armed robbery. Emily had held him responsible for not stopping Chris and for not being there to keep him from getting killed. She had stopped speaking to Jonah after that, knowing her father had pressured Chris into the robbery, Jonah knowing that Chris was likely to have been tried as a juvenile if he had been caught. But things had gone terribly wrong, with Chris shooting his gun off and getting shot in return. If Jake had been there, Chris would have been calmer. But Chris had died and Emily had never forgiven him for not being able to stop it.

Emily.

She had stopped speaking to him as soon as she learned that they were finally going after Jonah. She had known that this was going to eventually happen. When he last saw her, he had reminded her that this needed to be done. Emily had only asked to try and make sure they didn't kill her father in the process. He had seen the look of anguish in her eyes and had turned away, knowing how hard life had been for her due to Jonah's life of crime and her history of family tragedies. Jonah had been given many cease and desist warnings from Colonel Hoffman, but they had been ignored. The last warning had been a letter that had offered Jonah amnesty if he surrendered peacefully and halted his operation. Bobby had told them that Jonah had burned the letter. But Jake had his own personal grievances with Jonah now. Jonah had needlessly killed the men from New Bern and taken the mortar launcher, mortars and guns that should have been theirs. His father might not have died if they had had the mortars to use against New Bern.

He still had his doubts on whether this needed to be done, though. Jonah was annoying, but he mostly left Jericho alone nowadays. But Colonel Hoffman's words came back to him. 'Help us bring in Jonah Prowse and you'll definitely have a job working for us.'' He was reminded of the bigger picture. If he and Rob Hawkins were going to stop this government that was quickly growing out of control, then he was going to have to get inside it and find out more about what they were really up to and how they came to take over the western United States and many of its military assets and people. Assets like this Special Forces Group that he wasn't entirely all that sure about.

Jake watched the captain and lieutenant talking over the final movements of their operation, feeling like an outsider. He had been involved with all the planning thus far, including meeting with one of Captain Salinski's squad leaders to help finalize the plan. This had been his baby as much as the town charter was. But now that the Special Forces team was here, he was now in the backseat, mainly here for observation and to answer any other questions they might have. He wasn't sure if this was how the SF team usually operated, as they hadn't had to use them on this large of a scale yet, but he had an uneasy feeling about this unit, especially after some of the stories he had overheard from some of the soldiers. Formerly deployed to Iraq, the Special Forces team had been on their way home for a brief visit when the bombs had gone off and had somehow ended up under the control of the Cheyenne military, probably because they were based out of Colorado. The unit was deployed full time now and busy taking out hot spots all over the west. They were also being used to break into towns and other large gatherings of people who weren't cow-towing to the western government. One of the rumors he had heard from the Underground was that they were often doing special missions for President Tomarchio, breaking into military bases in the East to steal weapons and other supplies and sabotage computer systems and other equipment. But the two Special Forces squads definitely knew what they were doing and seemed to exist in another world, having a mentality that no doubt went along with the job. They were trained to follow orders and not ask many questions about the why and who they were doing it for.

Captain Salinski called for radio silence, switching to a Morse Code series of taps across the radios for the final orders. Jake still remembered enough Morse Code to vaguely follow along. The order to go was given.

Part one of their plan was to turn off the lights and power. Jake knew how to disable the wind turbine thanks to Heather. Like the officers next to him, Jake followed their progress using his binoculars. He watched the squads moving in and keeping to the darker spots to hide their movements. They used wire cutters to cut through the chain link fence and prepared to move inside the compound. Only one squad had been ordered to move inside, and Jake watched as it moved into position, surrounding the building where the wind turbine was located. Two men scaled the building. Fortunately, it wasn't as light around the turbine and the soldier Jake had taught how to disable the wind turbine was able to crawl into place. Several other trained soldiers were slipping through shadows to get in place to enter the buildings as soon as the lights went out. Their job was to find and secure the weapons and explosives before any of Jonah's men could get to them.

Anticipation hung thick in the air and Jake felt the tension in his body and another burst of adrenaline that always took him whenever they were about to start. He kept reminding himself to breathe. Jonah Prowse was in there along with many other people he knew. This time the attack was personal, and so many things could go wrong. He had reassured Heather that this wasn't going to be that difficult, but he knew that was a partial lie. He tried to calm himself down by thinking about Heather, how she had awakened with him a few hours ago, though he had tried to be quiet and sneak out of the house. Heather was a very light sleeper he had discovered, but she had made him breakfast and saw him to the door, parting with a hungry, passionate kiss of longing that said more than words ever could. Knowing Heather, she was still awake worrying about him. He said a quick prayer that she would have nothing to worry about today.

Captain Salinski tapped out the "Proceed" order in Morse Code. Jake could imagine the soldier finding and turning off the switch that connected the wind turbine generator to the grid connector. That was the first step before switching on the brake mechanism that would slow and stop the wind turbine. If the turbine was making noise like it was, he wasn't sure the brake would work, but it would be the second step if the turning off the switch didn't work. And if neither worked, he knew the soldier had the equipment to cut through the power cable if needed, but that was more risky. But, fortunately, step one must have worked.

Darkness fell across the compound as the lights went out. The clicking continued. He knew that the SF teams had night vision goggles to help them see, but most of them were trained enough to not need them. Jake could hear the shouts of alarm from his position. Using his binoculars, he watched the other squads moving inside the compound. Knowing what was coming next, Jake ducked his head to shield his eyes and saw the lieutenant and captain doing the same next to him. Several seconds later, there were bright flashes of light in the sky and loud bangs as the stun grenades went off. There was chatter over the radios as the soldiers ordered Jonah's men on guard duty not to move.

Jake lifted his head and used the binoculars to sweep across the compound. With the lights out, it was easier to make out what was going on now using the night vision binoculars.

He saw that the squads had successfully taken out the men manning the artillery guns and mortar launcher. He saw one of the roaming guards being held at gun point and being searched for other weapons. He watched several soldiers moving in to take control of the tank, climbing inside it and using a custom device to lock it from the inside. He saw the gun slowly being turned to aim it at the main building of the compound.

Two other squads were guarding the doors into the building where most of the men slept. As windows and doors opened, tear gas grenades were tossed inside, some of them breaking through the glass windows.

The shooting began, though Jake knew it was mostly going to be Jonah's men blindly shooting at anything. The military had not been told to not shoot until ordered. The squads took cover and waited it out. He saw the flashes of light as the men shot from the doors and windows.

Then Jonah's men began slowly filtering out, coughing and rubbing their eyes. Some had guns in their hands, some of them were half dressed. As they came outside, they were ordered to drop their weapons and lay face down on the ground. Some obeyed, others didn't. A few looked unaffected by the tear gas and started shooting at the soldiers they were able to barely see.

There were several flashes and loud bangs again as stun grenades were tossed at the men. Who wasn't on the ground spiraled as their balance was thrown off by the grenades and a few of them collapsed on the ground. A few die-hards had taken cover behind a few of the trucks.

"Surrender and toss down your guns," Jake heard the call of the squad leader over the radio shouting to the men. "Then come out with your hands up."

He watched a few of the men obey the order and toss out their guns and stagger out. But it wasn't everyone.

"On the ground now!" the leader ordered and more of the men dropped to the ground, but there were a few still holdingout. The shooting continued.

"Fire to incapacitate only," Captain Salinski ordered and Jake groaned inwardly. He had been hoping no one would have to be shot. Medical care was still inadequate and the risk of infection or complications was high.

The snipers that had moved into position fired and there were several screams as several men dropped to the ground, clutching arms or legs. Several minutes passed until all was quiet again. The shooting had stopped and the squads began moving up and removing the guns out of reach of the men. They began searching the buildings. More flashes and bangs echoed from inside the buildings as more stun grenades were used. Occasionally shots rang out and Jake cursed to himself, knowing that someone was likely to get injured or worse, killed. The body armor would protect the soldiers, but a well aimed shot could still kill a man. Jake knew that they already had men inside guarding or blocking the ways to most of the explosives and guns that Jonah had stashed throughout the compound. He just hoped that the military got to them first.

That didn't happen.

Jake stared in shock as his eyes caught a bright flash on the side of the warehouse building. Instinctively he knew that it was way too large and the wrong color for a stun grenade. A second later, the ground trembled and a loud boom reverberated, echoing off into the distance. There were shouts of alarm as Jake saw a large explosion lighting up the sky as it erupted out of the side section of the main warehouse. Across the radio, there were angry calls and profanity describing what the soldiers were experiencing inside the compound until the captain ordered silence and it fell quiet. Jake struggled to remember what was over in that area. It wasn't the tankers, they were near the front of the compound. It must have been one of the munition storerooms on the side of the warehouse. Smoke began billowing out from the side of the warehouse and Jake saw the flicker of flames beginning to flash up out of the roof A feeling of dread hit Jake, worried that soldiers or even some of Jonah's men could have actually been seriously injured or killed by that explosion.

"Get those fire trucks in here." The captain ordered Lt. Robbins. The Special Forces leader was amazingly focused despite all the chaos of dealing with multiple men and orders. "And get your second team over there to guard them when they get here."

Lt. Robbins called over his radio and Jake heard the response from Fire Chief Harkin. A minute later, he heard the sound of the fire sirens in the distance.

"How many injured?" Jake heard Captain Salinski ask over his radio. Jake didn't hear a response in his own headset, but the captain must have as he responded back. "All right, get them brought out front. We'll meet you there with the medics."

The captain began giving issuing orders for the rest of his squads and the support teams to begin moving in and begin the next steps of their plan, to search and secure. Several trucks began moving up from the road. The captain did a lot of talking and listening on the radio, but most of the time, it was on a different channel than the one in Jake's helmet, one reserved for the Special Forces command crew.

"The locked room where the extra mortars and other explosives were kept was rigged with C4." Captain Salinski informed Lt. Robbins. "Sunshine found it but they couldn't disarm it in time. Two men with minor injuries."

Jake breathed a sigh of relief. He had envisioned the squads walking into a trap and being blown to pieces.

He watched the bright flashing lights as the Jericho fire trucks arrived and were directed into place escorted by several of the soldiers from the outpost. The side of the big warehouse was burning with flames blazing above the roof but it didn't look like it was spreading very fast. In a few minutes. the firemen were set up using hoses to douse the flames. He worried about having Jericho's firemen in the path of danger, but it looked like the soldiers had the situation outside under control so far. Most of Jonah's men were now being secured with plastic handcuffs and lined up near the fence.

Captain Salinski began coordinating the search with the squad leaders. Lt. Robbins had his own men from the military outpost move in and take over the job of securing the men and the perimeter to make sure no stragglers tried to escape.

Fifteen minutes later, they were given the all clear to finally move into the compound. The eastern sky was finally beginning to lighten with a gray dreary dawn. The fire now looked to be well under control by the firemen, with most of the flames out and the rest smoldering.

Jake followed the lieutenant and captain and the other soldiers that had been with their group down the hill and through the front gate of the compound. Several military trucks had pulled up, including the med truck. Several medics were busy treating the injured and those still suffering the effects of the tear gas and stun grenades. Several of the soldiers now had their helmets off as they worked. As he approached, Jake took off his helmet, still not comfortable with having to wear the protective gear. It hampered his hearing and the clicking from the noisy wind turbine was occasionally being picked up by various soldiers talking on the radio and it was annoying him.

"Start loading any not injured on the trucks. They're going straight to Cheyenne." Jake heard Lt. Robbins order several soldiers as he walked up.

"Hey, I thought we were going to take each of them on a case by case basis and-" Jake objected, glancing at the men lined up against the chain link fence. He recognized many of them..

Lt. Robbins interrupted him. "No, the plan has changed. They are all going up to Cheyenne to be tried."

"But that wasn't the agreement!" Jake raised his voice. He had requested that they review each of the men's cases and turn any Jericho men over to the Jericho government for trial, especially those with families. The plan was to have them do community work, such as working on the farms and picking up trash in Jericho and other jobs that people typically didn't want to do. Jake was hoping to spare many of them from going to the prison work camps, especially when they needed the help here.

"Agreement has changed. Colonel's orders." The lieutenant replied sharply.

"God damn it!" Jake yelled but the lieutenant didn't even flinch. He had usually gotten on fairly well with Lt. Robbins but the officer now was treating him coldly. He did see Captain Salinski glance in their direction as he raised his voice however. Several faces turned to look at him, including some of the soldiers and Jonah's men. "That wasn't the deal. Some of these men have families here in Jericho-"

"If you disagree, you can take it up with the colonel. His orders come directly from Homeland Security on this. All organized crime members are to be taken to Cheyenne." The lieutenant explained, looking impatient and glancing away as if he had better things to be doing than arguing with Jake.

Most of the people they had captured thus far had been taken to Cheyenne too, as far as Jake knew. He had even vaguely known a few of them, but with Jonah, this was personal. He knew some of them, both from town and from working for Jonah in the past. He didn't want to see them just disappear. He felt like he had just gotten blindsided. Had they been planning this all along and just not telling him? His distrust of this government and military came flooding back. They seemed to be operating on pretty strict orders most of the time, and many of those orders appeared to come from Homeland Security.

"But what about those who aren't here? And the injured?" Jake asked seeing several wounded being treated by the medics from the military outpost. There was at least four soldiers being treated, two who looked like they had been hit by flying debris from the explosion. None of the wounds looked life-threatening which gave Jake a small measure of relief. But they also weren't done yet. He still heard occasional gunfire from inside the buildings.

"They can get better treatment in Cheyenne anyway. The most injured we'll triage here and fly them to Cheyenne. And we'll need you to help round up those who weren't here. We'll let the colonel decide if they need to go to Cheyenne as well." Lt. Robbins explained. Then the officer listened over his head set, which Jake couldn't hear since he had taken his helmet off. The lieutenant added. ""And we haven't been able to find Prowse yet."

"What do you mean?" Jake asked. He scanned the line of faces by the face and glanced at the men being treated by the medics. One soldiers was going down the line asking them questions, waving his rifle in their faces and yelling at them. But the men were shaking their heads and a few even spat at the soldier. He didn't see anyone that resembled Jonah among them, though he guessed they might captured him inside. They had already brought at least five men outside. "He's not here?"

"We don't know. None of the men are talking. He wasn't in his office or sleeping area. The captain has the ODA team sweeping inside right now." The lieutenant nodded over to where he saw Captain Salinski talking on the radio as he scanned over the map of the compound. The captain appeared to be marking off sections of the buildings probably as they were searched.

Bobby had assured him that Jonah was going to be here today. They had had the area under close surveillance all night and no vehicles had come or left the compound since eight o'clock last night. One of the soldiers had even spotted Jonah out talking to his guards around ten o'clock last night. Unless he had left on foot and bypassed them somehow, that meant that Jonah was likely still inside. Jake tried to think about where Jonah could hide. He knew about the bunkers and a general idea of where they might be. He remembered Jonah taking him down there once long ago. He knew that their entrances were hard to find and often hidden. Jonah had spent years digging out the basements and building it to his liking. He wondered if Jonah could use them to hide.

Jake turned to the lieutenant. "Let me go in. I have some idea where he could be."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Lt. Robbins replied, shaking his head.

"Ask the captain then. I know this place, I know Jonah. If anyone can find him, I can." Jake said with more confidence than he had. He didn't want Jonah to get away, not after all their planning and hard work. Not to mention that Jonah wouldn't be very happy once he learned that Jake had been involved with this effort.

The lieutenant talked over his radio headset to the soldier who had finished questioning the men. The soldier shook his head at Lt. Robbins. None of the men were talking was the message Jake guessed. Lt. Robbins turned back to Jake. "All right. Hold on."

Jake watched the lieutenant walk over and talk to the captain, pointing at Jake. The captain shook his head but then held up his hand as he began listening and talking over the radio to his soldiers.

Jake used the moment to watch as they began loading men into the military trucks. They had them secured with plastic handcuffs and guarded by several soldiers with rifles Many were staring at him with a lost look on their faces and more than a few of them angry. A few of them cursed in Jake's direction calling him all sorts of names for betraying them and Jonah. He knew many of them were just trying to survive in the chaos of their new world, but that didn't need to require crime to get by. He scanned their faces, recognizing many of them. Some of them had been working for Jonah for years. Others he recognized from Jericho. There were a half dozen strange faces. But he didn't see a few that he used to know, such as Mitchell Cafferty or Trace Winters. Bobby had told him that Mitchell had gone missing months ago.

"Jake!" Lt. Robbins called and waved him over.

As Jake approached, the lieutenant informed him. "Looks like Prowse blew up the entrance to the underground area with that explosion. We can't go in that way, it's too hot. Is there a back way in that you know of?"

Jake shrugged. "Not sure, but there used to be an entrance off the basement steps. There's a hallway down there."

"That's where my men are now." Captain Salinski said. The captain pointed to the map which Jake had helped draft. "But we only found a few rooms downstairs but those weren't close to that entrance. Are there more rooms than that down there?"

Jake nodded. There was small basement with several rooms that looked normal, but Jake knew that Jonah had another part of the basement that had been closed off and its entrances locked or hidden most of the time. When the FBI came for searches, Jonah would move heavy cabinets in the way to block the doors or even go as far to brick them in. Jonah had gotten quite good at hiding what he didn't want found.

"There were a couple other ways to get in there, a trap door from the garage but that was usually locked. There was also a ramp to the back where he used for loading and unloading but it looked like it had been filled in on the satellite pictures." Jake began wracking his brain, trying to remember the basement area. Memories came flooding back of a dim basement lit by lone light bulbs and filled with crates and boxes and stolen electronics. He remembered the excitement on Chris's face when they were finally allowed to go down to the sacred basement of his father's business.

Captain Salinski stared at Jake for long seconds before deciding. "I don't like this but I need your eyes and knowledge down there. If you have any idea where Prowse might be or how to get in that area, I want you to point it out to Sergeant McCloskey and let him lead the searches. No cowboying or mavericking. And if they find Prowse, let my men handle it. The last thing I need is a civilian getting killed on this. I hate paperwork."

"Understood." Jake nodded and stopped himself from adding 'sir'. Captain Salinski was a strict disciplinarian, but Jake figured you had to be to lead something as difficult as Special Forces. He was all business. And he knew he wasn't found of Jake or any other civilian being involved in his efforts. He even barely tolerated Lt. Robbins. He had ordered Lt. Robbins to keep a full squad of men guarding the fireman as they worked and had the rest of the soldiers from the military outpost doing easy work like dealing with the prisoners and guarding the area.

"And here, take this," The captain pulled the M9 pistol off his belt and handed it to Jake. "And I want it back fully loaded."

Up until this point Jake had been unarmed, a fact that he had been nervous about, but as he wasn't supposed to be involved with the actual fighting, it wasn't supposed to be needed. He had left his own semi-automatic pistol back at the house and felt vulnerable without it.

Captain Salinski called out to a soldier that had been sorting through the guns that they had collected. "Trammel, get Toad and Screed and take Green here in to McCloskey. He's around back."

Jake figured Toad and Screed were the nicknames of the two men standing near Trammel. He had learned long ago that most of the Special Forces teams went by nicknames.

"Yes, sir." Trammel saluted the captain and nodded at Jake.

"And Jake?" The captain stared at Jake.

"Yeah?" Jake started moving to follow the soldier. He felt his adrenaline stirring at the thought of finally getting some action.

"Put your fucking helmet back on."

(To be continued...)


	27. Chapter 27

Full Circle, Chapter Twenty Seven 

_Warning: More profanity and definitely graphic violence in this chapter. Oh and probably some death (Who's? Not tellin') and general mayhem.  
_  
The third doorway they checked had been bricked in as well.

Jake, now wearing his helmet again, was frustrated. All the old usual ways in that Jonah used to have to his basement had been filled in, meaning Jonah had moved the entrances. He didn't think that the entry up under the munitions room was the only way in, but maybe Jonah had gotten that protective. He could blow up the entrance, as he just did, and come back later to dig back in. Since Jonah's bed looked like it had been slept in tonight and they had yet to find any sign of Jonah yet, they were betting he had holed up in the basement and blown up the obvious entrance above.

Jake and the ODA team for Special Forces were crouched down in a defensive position in the hallway of the known basement under the warehouse. Here typically Jonah used to store obvious things such as truck and car parts, furniture and other business goods he kept on hand for trading. Now the rooms were mostly filled with what looked to be food and other stolen goods, some that was even labeled for various refugee camps Jake had heard about.

The surveillance equipment the soldiers were using told them that there were rooms on the other side of the cement block wall they crouched by, but they had yet to find an entrance. Jake found memories coming back about being down here, the hours he had spent working alongside Jonah's inner circle of men, finally being allowed to see his secret stash and hiding place. That had been a few months before Chris had died. Jonah had brought both he and Chris down together, showing them his hidden rooms and entrusting them to keep it a secret, even from many of the other men that worked for Jonah. Chris had been ecstatic that his father was finally trusting him enough to let him be a part of the bigger picture at last. Jake had been scared, finally realizing that Jonah was into far worse things than skimming profits and the occasional illegal trading and minor robbery instead of his truck business. Jonah had kept his stash of marijuana down here as well a stock pile of stolen goods ranging from car radios and speakers to high end ticket items like televisions and computers. When the ramp had been open, there was also the occasional car or truck until Jonah stripped it or passed it on. There was a bathroom, sinks and even lab tables that several of Jonah's men used to dabble in making recreational drugs. It scared Jake to think what Jonah might be hiding down here now.

"Any idea how deep this goes?" Sergeant McCloskey asked Jake, shining his mag light on the hand drawn map Jake had made for him. It was dark downstairs in the hallway in which they stood. The lights in the hallway were out as the power was still out in the compound.. The soldiers had small flashlights mounted on their helmets they used to see by. Several also carried the heavy duty searchlights but they were now off.

Jake shook his head. "Last time I was down here, it looked like it was only as big as the front part of the warehouse above. Maybe fifty feet deep in the largest room. The other rooms were maybe fifteen to twenty feet square with a hallway between them and one small office in this back corner." He had drawn the map as he remembered it, with one big room and a ten foot wide hallway beyond it that ran the length of the big storage room and led into several other small rooms on the other side.

"What's in these smaller rooms?" The sergeant asked him, pointing to the rooms on the other side of the hallway that was beyond the big storage room that was probably between them.

"Bathroom with shower here." Jake pointed on the map to a room halfway down the hall to right. "Sleeping area here. This area was open, but there was another small storage room and office on the other side. My guess is that the entry way upstairs was right here." Jake pointed to the open area by the bathroom.

"Any other way in there?"

"Not that I can think of. Looks like he blocked off all the old ways in."

"Then we need a good place to blow this open." The sergeant said, nodding at the wall. He waved to one of the soldiers that had come in after Jake. "Engineer Weiss, get your fine ass up here."

There was movement next to him as a soldier moved up. Jake noticed that this soldier was a woman. He wasn't surprised, but there had been very few female soldiers in any of their operations, not even with Colonel Hoffman's brigade. He was reminded of Maggie for a moment until he remembered that Maggie hadn't been an actual soldier. The last he had heard, she had gone up to Cheyenne to enlist however. This woman looked to be tall but he couldn't tell the color of her hair under her helmet. She had strong features and he wouldn't call her beautiful, but she was definitely attractive. She must be tough to be a member of the Special Forces team. The men used strong language that even blew Jake's mind at times, but he figured it went with the territory of working such a high stress job.

"Find me a good spot, best guess, something concrete block with not much on the other side if possible." The sergeant ordered Jake and nodded at the soldier who had been running the sonar surveillance equipment. "Best guess if you can't do any better."

The soldier marked out several spots on the wall with white chalk, pointing out that was where he detected something solid on the other side of the wall. Jake waited until he was done then chose a spot on the wall where he was pretty sure there wasn't likely to be any furniture or walls since he had last been in the room.

"Let's blow through here," The sergeant spoke to Weiss, pointing to the area Jake had picked out. 'Standard charges."

"Yes, sir." The woman asked Jake several questions about his best guess of how thick the wall might be and what might be on the other side, including the height of the ceiling and what materials the floor and ceiling were made off. As far as Jake knew, above them was concrete supported by heavy steel beams with some concrete supports inside the rooms, but he was no construction expert, only knowing that the warehouse above was meant to hold up heavy weight. The warehouse had been used for road construction supplies back in the fifties. He heard the sergeant filling in Captain Salinski with the plan over the radio.

"How in the world are you going to blow this out without causing a cave in?" Jake asked the soldier. The ceiling was only about twelve feet high.

"Don't worry," Weiss replied giving him a big smile as she began digging into her backpack. "I know what I'm doing."

Five minutes later, they had cleared the area and the ground beneath Jake's feet shook with a series of explosions. Sergeant McCloskey ordered his men to move and Jake followed at the tail end. Downstairs, he found the hallway covered in pieces of cement block and dust as the soldiers began filtering in through a large hole on the bottom half of the wall. On the other side, it was dark except for the bright searchlights the soldiers were using to sweep the room beyond. Jake realized that they were probably using it to cover and blind anyone that they found. The soldiers began slowly climbing through the hole in the wall with military precision, rifles aimed and ready and sweeping as they moved in. It was eerily quiet except the sound of their movements. Even the radio was silent for once.

On the other side, Jake was able to see enough the recognize the old basement. Several boxes and metal cabinets had been blown back by the explosions. The soldiers began moving the larger obstacles out of the way, clearing a path while others moved over and around the rest. Pieces of glass and other plastic and black parts laid on the ground, looking like remnants of televisions and other electronics. Jake vaguely wondered if any of them still worked after the EMP. He guessed they would never know now, though he saw glimpses of other still intact equipment in other parts of the room as the flashlights penetrated the dust and checked the dimensions of the room for any signs of life or danger. Jake noticed that the contents of the room hadn't changed that much from what he remembered. There were metal cabinets and racks lining the walls and big work tables throughout the room still. A few of the tables looked like they still had chemistry set ups, with flasks and other equipment, many of which had been knocked over by the blast. It looked like a still and other brewing equipment had been set up in one corner. Jake heard the crackle of broken glass being kicked and walked on as the soldiers carefully moved into the room.

The soldiers ahead of him were fanning out and sweeping the room with their rifles and flashlights. It was the large room of the basement, much as Jake remembered it. They began moving to the far side where the other hallway and rooms were. Jake thought he smelled smoke and guessed it came from the entrance above that had been blown up. By his best guess, that entrance was probably in the hallway beyond this big room. The doors leading to the hall were open as if they had been blown open and looked damaged. They had obviously taken some damage from the explosion upstairs. Jake could see debris and rubble in the area by the door and when the lights flashed that way, there was smoke and dust still hanging in the air.

The front soldiers began moving up and out into the hall.

"Debris up here. And smoke. It's still smoldering. Looks like this area started to cave in." A soldier said softly, his voice barely detectable over the radio.

"I see movement!" Said another hushed voice and Jake saw the soldiers ahead raising their rifles.

Holding his pistol ready, Jake was climbing through the hole into the big room when shouts came across the radio and from up ahead of Jake.

"Shit, grenade!! Mother fuckers!"

"Cover, now!!!!" Jake heard that one without the benefit of the radio.

The soldiers around him dropped to the ground and Jake felt a hand pushing him down though he had already been moving that direction. His heart racing, Jake covered his head as an explosion rocked in front of him. He heard the force of the explosion carrying over the radio headset, making his ears ring. The ceiling above them shuddered and showered them with dust and debris. The smell of smoke was stronger now and mixed in with the smell of burned plastic. Jake thought he heard what sounded like screaming but it was so faint, he thought it was just his imagination.

"I know what I'm doing," Engineer Weiss said softly next to him. She had been the one that had pressed him to the ground. She pointed up at the ceiling. "But whoever that is sure as hell doesn't."

Jake glanced up and saw that there was a long crack in the ceiling above them that hadn't been there before. He saw similar cracks in the wall on the left side of the door.

"Fridge and Rack are hurt. Shrapnel." A voice whispered over the radio. "Looks like that came from the back corner to the left."

The danger of their situation suddenly hit Jake all at once. They had someone up there tossing grenades and the soldiers were moving forward, not back. Jake suddenly realized how the soldiers in Iraq must have felt having to move into homes and buildings where there were IEDs were being used by insurgents to purposely kill soldiers. He found a new appreciation for the soldiers that did this kind of work and felt a flashback to his time in Iraq. He tried to not think that Jonah would outright kill soldiers, but then he had seen Jonah kill those men from New Bern. He wasn't even sure it was Jonah ahead of them.

"Radio silence!" The sergeant ordered. "Clicks only."

A series of clicks passed on Jake's headset but he couldn't follow it. This team didn't always use Morse code but had their own communication method but all the men seemed to understand it as they began moving more slowly, sweeping the rest of the basement area for problems and using hand signals instead. He glanced ahead and figured the grenade had gone off down the hallway ahead. By his best guess, at least five soldiers had already moved into that hallway or the rooms beyond, going to the left. Three soldiers were checking out this big room and the sergeant was up by the doorway leading into the hall. Jake sat up and Engineer Weiss pulled him over next to the nearby wall, holding her rifle aimed at the hallway door. They crouched down, backs against the wall.

There was a long pause as they waited for the dust to settle. Jake saw the dust floating in the air, reflecting off the light of their flashlights. He pulled out his own issued mag lite, finding it harder to see with the rest of the soldiers moving ahead of him. It was eerily quiet and he could hear his own ragged breaths as he tried to calm himself. Glancing at Weiss, he saw a concerned expression on her face but she was focusing on listening and watching ahead of her, while occasionally glancing behind them. There were two soldiers guarding the hole they had just come through.

"We have a lot of debris here. Looks like part of the hallway collapsed when they blew the entrance." A voice reported over the radio. "And like someone was clearing a path to the back here."

A minute later, Jake saw Sergeant McCloskey wave a few of the soldiers ahead of them to move up.

Jake felt his pulse quicken as he suddenly felt the danger these soldiers were facing. He realized that he wasn't even safe if a grenade came his way or if the roof collapsed above him. He remembered his promise to Heather that he would be careful. The passion of their kiss before he left the house flooded his thoughts, nearly distracting him. Gulping a deep breath of air, he held on tight to that memory, also remembering the look on her worried face as she watched him leave. He wondered if many of these soldiers had someone that cared about them so much, had someone to go home to like he did. Or were they like many Americans now, not knowing if their loved ones were even still alive. Nearly six years ago, he had run away from home, ashamed, angry and feeing lost. Now he was here fighting for his home and for those he cared about, in more ways than one.

Gunfire erupted in front of him out in the hall, the sound of of the assault rifles quickly firing, but intermixed with other slower fire, like that of a handgun and the loud pulse of what could be a rifle. The noise echoed down the hallway and into their room.

The radio crackled. "I've got return gunfire, at least one pistol, maybe a rifle."

Then the gunfire halted and quiet fell.

The sound of crying echoed from in front of them. It was faint and again Jake wondered if he had just imagined it. He was tempted to take off his helmet so that he could hear better.

"Do you hear that?" Jake glanced at Weiss sitting on the ground next to him.

"Hear what?" She asked.

The sergeant tapped out a bunch of clicks on the radio. It was quiet for a moment, then a couple gunshots, then silence again.

The sound of screaming carried from down the hall in front of them. All the soldiers around them stopped. There were cries for help and it sounded like the voices of women.

"Where the hell is that coming from?" Sergeant McCloskey asked in front of Jake.

"Other side of the hall, I think." A voice said over the radio. "Right from the door."

"Shit, we could have hostages." The sergeant said into the radio.

"I want confirmation on that ASAP." The captain called back over the radio. Jake hadn't realized that Captain Salinski was paying that close attention.

"Put your weapons down and come out with your hands up," A voice called over the radio and Jake was able to hear the voice echoing from the hallway ahead.

"Like hell!" a voice sounded in the distance, barely picked up by the radio. Jake thought he recognized that voice but wasn't sure. It didn't sound like Jonah.

"Another one! Holy shit! Jesus Christ!" Came more cries over the radio and again, another explosion roared down the hallway, flashing with light and debris. The radio crackled with the noise of the explosion again.

The wall behind Jake and floor beneath him shuddered with the explosion. The ceiling shook above them and several large chunks of concrete fell from the ceiling, shattering as they hit the floor.

The screaming came again, this time louder. It definitely sounded like it was coming from down on the right. Sergeant McCloskey waved two soldiers to head that direction and Jake saw them crawl out into the hall after looking both ways.

"Look like MK3A2's." A voice came across the radio. Jake vaguely recalled that was a type of grenade, probably the explosive type instead of the frag ones. This was not a good place to be using that type of grenade. Those were made to blow up structures. He wasn't sure how well this basement had been built.

"They moved into the room down at the end of the hall. There's two of them I think."

Gunfire began again, the staccato of the military assault rifles and the intermittent return fire. Jake was beginning to have flashbacks to Iraq again. Occasionally, there was the sound of bullets ricocheting and it didn't do much for Jake's comfort level. He could hear the bullets hitting the cement block wall ahead of them.

"Sarge, locked door at the end here. Sounds like women behind it." Jake imagined it was the room to the right at the end of the hall. The explosion had come from the left, likely near where Jonah's private office had been.

"Ask them if they are okay or if there's anyone in there."

The soldier must have turned off his radio to talk to the women, but called back a few seconds later. "They are all right and no one's in there but them. The door's locked and barred from the outside. So is the bathroom next to it."

"Tell them to take cover. We can't let them out until we have things secure out here."

"Aye sir."

"And Twerp?"

"Yeah?"

"You and Pigeon stay there and guard the chicken coop." The sergeant ordered, then turned around and searched the room behind him, his eyes locking on Jake. "Green! Up here!"

Jake slowly moved up, staying out of line of sight of the open door. The gun play back and forth at the end of the hall continued.  
He crouched down next to the officer.

"Any idea what Jonah would be doing with women locked down here?" The sergeant asked Jake. "Do they work for him?"

Jake just shook his head. He couldn't think that Jonah was... but then again, he couldn't be sure. Not anymore. The world had changed and Jonah had probably changed with it. Heather's experience in New Bern was proof of that. "Slavery probably, or prostitution."

Several of the gangs they had taken out so far had dabbled in both, but usually they only found one or two women, or evidence that people had been locked up and trafficked. He also wondered if Jonah was using them as some sort of reward for his men. Jonah had often paid for hookers or strippers to come out and entertain at his private parties in the past.

A soldier talked over the radio again. Jake could barely hear him with the gunfire continuing. "We can't get into the room, but it looks like they are moving deeper toward the back of it. Is there another way out of there?"

Sergeant McCloskey looked at Jake again. Jake tried to think what may have been back there. The ramp had been on the other side of the hallway, on the right side heading east, not the left. That had been the only other way out that he knew of other than through the bricked doorways into the big room where they were now and the trap door from the warehouse garage but that led into the room they were in as well..

"I doubt it, unless they built another way out." Jake replied over the radio.

"There's something back there." Another soldier said. "I caught a glimpse of something against the back wall before that last grenade hit."

"Where at?" Captain Salinski asked over over the radio.

"It's a small room at the end of the hallway, on the southwest part of this basement."

That would place it where the small office used to be, Jake guessed. He didn't remember there being another way out of there, but he had only been in there once or twice. That was where Jonah used to keep his records and personal collection of goods. It was his private sanctum, where he went to think and plan and get away from everyone else.

"I got men on the way up top checking it out now." The captain said.

Jake watched as two soldiers were helped out of the hallway. Both of them were moving on their own, though one of them was being half-supported by another soldier. He saw blood on the front of his pants. The other soldier was clutching his upper arm and Jake saw blood when he pulled his hand away to check his wound. Two of the soldiers that had been checking out the room stopped what they were doing to go help the injured soldiers, pulling several plastic packages out of pockets then slicing open the uniforms of the wounded soldiers with knives. Jake recognized the military emergency bandages as the soldiers unwrapped them and applied them to the wounds, wrapping them snuggly.

The gunfire was steady back and forth, the familiar sound of the squad's assault rifles and the occasional thump that sound like it came from a rifle and a semi-automatic pistol.

"I think I got one, Sarge." A voice called over the radio, interspersed with the gunfire. "And I see where they are at, it's up against the wall."

"Cover fire and verify." The sergeant ordered.

The gunfire increased. Jake felt a cold shiver go down his back. They were aiming to kill and might very well kill whoever it was there. And Jake had a good feeling it was Jonah and someone else.

"Mother fuckers are up in a hole in the wall." Said a voice on the radio. "Looks like some sort of tunnel."

"Back off and toss em a stunner." The sergeant ordered, checking on his injured soldiers. Jake moved away from the door again, choosing another spot on a wall to sit against. He didn't want to be anywhere near that stun grenade, even though he knew the soldiers would be close.

The gunfire paused and there was a flash of light from the hallway along with a loud pop.

An eerie silence fell and Jake could hear his own breathing and that of the rest around him. Ahead of him, he heard the sound of a rifle being reloaded.

"I don't see anything."

"Too hazy, hold on."

"Shit, I think they're gone."

"Moving up to verify."

A few seconds passed and Jake found himself holding his breath. Was Jonah dead? He prayed that he was at least stunned and would surrender quietly.

"Shit, they're gone."

"Are you sure-" Jake heard Sergeant McCloskey begin to ask but he never finished his sentence.

"BOMB!" "Mother fuckers!" "IED!" "Shit!" the voices erupted over the headset. There was a flurry of movement coming from down the hall and soldiers began pouring through the open door. A second later, a loud boom nearly deafened Jake, from the radio and from the hallway. Jake instinctively covered his head as the wall behind him felt like it was moving. The ground shook fiercely, the roof cracking and showering them with large chunks of concrete. Several soldiers dove past Jake as others covered their shoulders and heads as dust and debris exploded into the room around them from the open doorway. There were several loud cracks and Jake glanced up to see the ceiling beginning to cave in overhead.

"What the hell-?" Jake heard Captain Salinski ask over the radio, but his voice faded as the ceiling overheard continue to crack and break into pieces.

"All right, back out of here, pronto! Twerp and Pigeon, take cover and keep an eye on those women, we'll be back." Sergeant McCloskey ordered, moving to help lift one of the injured solders. He spoke to one of the soldiers who just dove into the room. "Sunshine, you got count."

"Aye, sir!" The soldier nicknamed Sunshine began doing a count of his squad members as they began pouring out of the room.

Jake climbed to his feet and went over to Weiss as if to help but found her already scampering to her feet and moving toward the hole in the wall. The roof overhead was showering them with dirt and pieces of concrete now.

"You're just going to leave them and the women in there?" Jake shouted at Weiss.

"They're soldiers. They know their duty." Weiss simply replied. "We'll dig 'em out."

"Your friends just either just bought themselves a one way ticket to hell, or there's another way out of there." The sergeant said to Jake from behind him.

"They're not my friends." Jake retorted, bending down to help one of the soldiers who was limping slightly. Rubble was continuing to fall on their heads, crashing against the floor making it hard to walk.

Jake made it through the hole with the rest of the soldiers. The original basement hallway was still intact and the last soldiers through the hallway were still in a defensive position. There was coughing around them with the dust filling the air and Jake heard a loud groan from within the room they had just been in as the ceiling began to collapse. A shower of dirt burst through the open hole in the wall with a loud rush of finality.

Then all was quiet again. The flashlights that the soldiers had did little to break through the haze of dust in the air. Jake looked around at the faces of the soldier and underneath the layer of grime and dust he saw frustration. Faces and uniforms were coated with dirt and dust and Jake felt the grime on his own hands and face.

"What the hell was that, sergeant?" Captain Saliinski's voice came over the radio.

"IED." Sergeant McCloskey answered over the radio as a soldier next to him nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, I got that over the radio. What's your status? Report."

The sergeant gave a run down of what just happened, including the number of wounded and that two of his men and a room full of women were buried inside. He added in that he was pretty sure that the room they had just left was impassable now.

The captain called back. "The fire chief said with the fire out, they can see the hole down into the basement. We'll see if we can get to them through the top first."

"Sir, they likely got out through that tunnel, if the blast didn't collapse it on them." A soldier, who's voice Jake now recognized as one doing most of the talking, told the sergeant. "And they gotta come out somewhere."

"We're on it." Captain Salinski replied.

The sergeant looked at Jake questioningly.

"Dunno," Jake shrugged. "Wasn't here when I was here, at least as far as I knew."

The sergeant gave Jake a frustrated look and went back to talking to the captain. Jake took deep breaths as he tried to calm down.

Jonah had a chance to get away, depending on where that tunnel went. Jake thought for a long moment, trying to think what Jonah would do. Jonah would have had a getaway planned, just in case. The man was good at that. And Jake had a good idea which way they were heading. He stood up and ran out toward the stairs.

"Hey, wait!" He heard Weiss call from behind him.

Taking two steps at a time, Jake was out of the basement and running alongside the outside of the warehouse, trying to estimate where the basement had been and the corner of the building. He blinked at the daylight, though it was still overcast. He gulped in breaths of fresh air, still feeling the dust in his lungs and coughing several times as he ran. His armor and clothes were caked with dust. He saw the edge of a firetruck on the east side of the warehouse, but he was heading in the other direction. Coming around the corner, Jake followed the line of where he guessed the basement had been. Studying the ground, he saw no places where the tunnel could have come up, no manholes or other exits, nor any signs that the ground had been dug up. He tried to remember if he had seen the tunnel before in Jonah's office, but only vaguely recalled the room's walls being covered with cabinets and maps that could have covered it up. How long had the tunnel been there and where did it go? The tunnel must keep going underground to the west somewhere, unless it turned underground. Already he saw a squad of soldiers exiting the chain link fence and heading across the ground in a western direction. They no doubt had the same idea.

But there wasn't much of anything to the west, as Jake recalled. Just farmland that was now sowed with soybeans. It would be hard to hide a tunnel underneath that.

Think, Jake. Remember.

Jake studied the area around this side of the compound. There were two small outbuildings nearby, but too close to be an obvious destination. Besides, why would Jonah build an escape route inside the compound.

Over to the south and southwest, the ground began to slope off as it headed downhill to the small creek at the bottom. On the other side of the creek was more farmland that had once belonged to a nearby farm, but Jonah had likely acquired it or had the farmer under his rule. He remembered Jonah often fighting with the farmers in the area, offering them protection as long as they gave him a cut of their profits. He had heard he was doing the same thing nowadays, asking for a share of their food and grains in exchange for his 'protection'. In the distance, Jake could make out a small building, probably used to hold tractors and other farm equipment. He could see a small fuel tank outside the building. If he was Jonah, he would have made for the building, maybe even keeping a car or motorcycle inside. Between the compound and the farm was brush and overgrowth and a creek, a perfect hiding place for a secret exit and a good place for cover to run and get there.

The squad that had been in the basement with him was just starting to catch up with Jake as he began jogging toward the southwest, ducking through the cut chain link fence. He slid halfway down the steep hill on the side of the compound, clods of sod and mud coming free as he stepped down. He wondered how the SF team had scaled it so easily. He saw the squad that had come out already moving toward the farmland to the west, sweeping the area and checking the ground for any signs of an exit from underground. He didn't pause to look to see if anyone else was following him. He was too busy trying to keep his footing.

There was a lot of of chatter over the radio. Jake overheard the captain ordering in the helicopter units to begin patrolling the area to the south and west of the compound. They had been holding the choppers in reserve as they often did, not expecting to have to use them. They were usually used by the Special Forces to come to Jericho and move the units into place.

Halfway down the next hill, he saw it. It looked like the doors to a storm cellar but now the doors hung open. It had likely been well hidden under brush and dirt so no one could easily see if from the outside. Holding his gun ready, Jake moved up by the doors, not sure what he would find inside.

"Stand back, we got this." A soldier called from behind Jake.

Frustrated, Jake held up his gun and let the soldiers pass by him. They slowly moved up to the entrance and checked it out. Two soldiers went inside and a minute later Jake heard over the radio. "It's clear! All kinds of shit in this tunnel though"

"Look at this," A soldier pointed at the ground. Jake walked over. On the metal frame holding up the doors, there were several drops of blood. Someone was shot.

The soldiers began following the blood as it trailed across the ground, then it stopped as they hit the brush again. Overgrown grass and other brush covered the way, but there was a definite path through the rain-soaked ground.

A soldier crouched down and checked a set of footprints on the ground, touching them and pointing his fingers to show the blood drops there. "Looks like two men, one is helping carry the other. Bad wound if he's bleeding this much."

Sergeant McCloskey finally caught up with them and began ordering the men to fan out and move forward. He saw Jake but only nodded. Jake was glad. He didn't want to miss the action.

Jake felt the mud in the wet ground sucking at his boots as he followed the soldiers. He had worn his own boots, the one piece of military gear they hadn't been able to provide him, but at least they were warm and fit. But they didn't seem to have as good of traction as the military issue boots did, as he often found himself slipping a few times as he followed the soldiers deeper into the wooded area before the creek. He guessed that they were about two hundred yards before the ground dropped off and down into the creek. He vaguely remembered this area. He and Chris used to ride ATVs around this area and there was a fun drop off down by the creek. Those days seemed long ago. He realized that those ATVs Jonah used to have had probably been stolen as well.

Gunfire erupted in front of him and Jake hit the ground as he heard bullets flying past him and hitting the nearby trees and brush, splattering mud into the air. The soldiers around him did the same, probably faster than he did. He felt the wetness from the ground and mud seeping into his pants. Holding his pistol ready in his right hand, he pushed up with his left as he looked ahead to see where the bullets may have come from. Mud oozed through his left hand fingers where he pressed his hand into the ground.

"I see 'em." Cracked a voice over the radio. "Four o'clock, on the move. Two men heading for the creek."

Jake slowly got to his feet, keeping low in a crouch position like the other soldiers around him. After getting his bearings, he looked in the direction they had called and saw them. About a hundred feet in front of him, running through the brush and into the cover of the small wooded area, he saw the backs of two men. The one on the left was Jonah, wearing a blue shirt and jeans, and looked like he was being supported by the man on the right. That man had long blond hair and wore a white tank top, better known as wife beaters. Trace Winters. Trace carried a mesh camouflage knapsack on his shoulder and a rifle in his free hand. Jonah looked like he had a gun in his other hand, the semi-automatic pistol. They weren't moving fast due to Jonah's injury.

"It's him, Jonah." Jake called over the radio, knowing that the soldiers didn't know what he looked like other than the visual description he had given them. "He's the injured one on the left The other one is Trace Winters. He's definitely dangerous."

"Move up and surround." Sergeant McCloskey ordered over the radio. Jake couldn't pick the sergeant out from the number of soldiers moving around and ahead of him.

Jake trotted through the mud as fast as he could to catch up, following behind one soldier. There was a lot of chatter over the radio as people called out sightings and movement. It sounded like the two were heading toward that building on the other side of the creek. But there was a lot of brush between here and there that they could use for cover.

Gun fire broke the quietness and all the soldiers Jake was able to see crouched down. In the distance, he heard the sound of the approaching helicopters.

"Shit, he's got another grenade. Sunshine, look out." A voice said over the radio. About fifty feet in front of Jake, the grenade exploded and Jake saw clods of mud and debris erupting into the air.

"Keep on them!" The captain called over the radio.

"Surrender and you won't get hurt." Jake heard the sergeant yell from ahead of him and to the left.

The soldiers kept moving, some of them half crawling, the others at a crouching walk, and others running forward and taking cover behind trees and brush. They moved fast and had guns ready.

Jake kept moving forward, being cautious to not rise about the height of the brush that gave him some cover. He saw the soldier near him doing the same. He lost track of the rest of the soldiers but he saw tracks in the mud that could have been theirs. But he also saw the occasional drop of blood on the tall blades of grass or on the ground. Jonah's blood, Jake sighed inwardly. Emily would be upset that Jonah had been hurt in this.

"Incoming!" came another voice over the radio and Jake mimicked the movements of the soldier near him and crouched down. This time, Jake could feel the ground shaking beneath his feet and felt and heard the spray of mud and dirt about twenty feet in front on him. He watched the soldier begin scanning in front of them with his rifle. Jake kept his head down.

"Got one of them, they've separated!"

"Drop the rifle and put your hands up!" Jake heard a voice in front of him. He began cautiously weaving through the brush, the soldier next to him and came upon two soldiers aiming their rifles at Trace Winters. They were in a small clearing surrounded by a dense growth of fir trees. Jonah wasn't with him as far as Jake could see. Trace was just about to pass through the branches of several of the fir trees that stood close together and paused. Jake was close enough to see the man's familiar tattoos on his muscled arms. But he could also see that Trace no longer held the bag.

Trace slowly turned around, one hand held his rifle. In his other hand, he held a grenade, now missing its pull ring. Trace smiled as lobbed the grenade at the soldiers at the same time two shots from behind Jake rang out and Trace went staggering backwards, a look of total shock on his face.

Jake hit the ground, covering his face with his arms.

The ground in front of Jake exploded and mud and dirt coated him and he felt something hit his helmet hard enough that he felt a sharp pain on the top of his head. He felt splinters of wood and pieces of rock pelting his hands and arms that weren't covered by armor. His mouth filled with mud as he buried his face as close to the ground as possible. He was so close to the force of the explosion, his head and ears were ringing.

Lifting his head, Jake felt the discomfort under his helmet. Reaching up, he checked its surface and felt a piece of metal sticking out of the top part of it. He pulled the helmet off and glanced inside. A piece of shrapnel had penetrated his helmet. He reached up and felt his head and felt the wetness of blood and saw it on his fingers as he pulled his hand back. it was bleeding but it was likely just a scalp wound which would probably bleed a lot.

"Damn." The soldier next to him said, eying Jake's helmet. "You're one lucky motha fucka."

Jake looked ahead and saw that the two soldiers that had held their guns at Trace hadn't been as lucky. They had tried to take cover but had been hit by the grenade. He heard the groans of one of the men and saw blood mixed in with mud and other debris in a circle around where the grenade had landed. Some of the blast had pelted Trace with debris as well. Jake climbed to his feet to get a better look.

"God damn it ,Sunshine," A voice called next to Jake as soldiers moved up and surrounded the area, two of them with their guns aimed at Trace and others checking out the two soldiers hit by the grenade. One of them must have been the one called Sunshine who seemed to be getting a lot of the action today. Their armor had protected them some from the blast, but it wouldn't totally help the unprotected areas of the face and arms and legs. Jake saw blood and bone and it was enough to make him look away. He saw the soldiers pulling the military emergency bandages from their pockets and hastily applying it to legs and arms and was amazed that it stopped some of the bleeding. They had made amazing advantages in combat medicine in the last decade and the dressing was a big part of that, stopping injuries and blood loss from what had once been fatal wounds before.

One soldier bent down to check out Trace. Jake saw blood pouring through the wound in Trace's chest, soaking his white shirt. They must have hit near the heart or a major artery Jake realized. Trace's eyes were wide with shock, the look of a man knowing he was dying as his life blood seeped out. Trace looked up and saw Jake, making eye contact in a look that was pleading for Jake to save him. Jake felt helpless but was angry enough that soldiers had been severely wounded that he debated whether he cared or not if Trace died. Then out of the corner of Jake's eye, he saw movement. Jonah had crept out from behind a tree and aimed his pistol at the soldier attempting to save Trace's life. Even with the body armor, a well aimed shot could still instantly kill the man. The other two soldiers with them were busy working on the men hit by the grenade. Jake was thirty feet away but not with a good line of sight to shoot.

"Jonah, no!" Jake yelled, instinctively running toward Jonah aiming his own pistol, not sure if he could actually shoot the man or not.

And Jake found himself facing the pistol of the gun as shots rang out, fast and loud.

Something hit him hard in the chest. He tumbled backward from the force of the impact and felt the piercing agony as if someone had just stabbed him several times in the chest. His eyes met Jonah's and he saw a flash of recognition and surprise there. And then he was falling backward, his feet slipping on the mud and hitting the ground with his back hard, knocking the breath out of him. It felt like someone had squeezed a vice around his chest. His head hit the wet earth and he remembered he also wasn't wearing his helmet.

"God dammit, Jake!" Jake heard Jonah's voice in front of him and glanced over his own feet to see Jonah slumping backward against a tree, slowly siding down it against his back as his leg gave out on him. He still held the bag of grenades and the pistol.

Jake was barely ten yards away. Jake raised his gun weakly at Jonah He was within easy shooting distance of Jonah, but his arm wasn't quite responding as quick as it should Lifting his head slightly, Jake was able to see the drop off that ran down to the creek a few yards behind Jonah. The creek was running fast and noisily with the runoff of the rain. Jonah had nearly made it to the creek. On the far side was deep brush that could have made it hard to follow them. But then things got hazy as red filled his vision, the haze of pain.

"Toss the gun and bag away!" Jake heard a soldier behind him order.

At that, Jonah laughed.

"Never thought it would end this way." Jonah began talking, but Jake wasn't sure if it was to himself or to Jake. It wasn't loud enough for anyone else close to hear. Jonah aimed the gun at Jake and said loudly. "Come any closer and I'll shoot him."

Suddenly, Jake realized that what Captain Salinski had warned him about being a maverick had just happened. He had just gotten himself caught. But he had saved the soldier's life. Jake glanced over his shoulder and saw two soldiers pulling Trace into the brush to continue working on trying to save his life. Other soldiers were helping move the injured soldiers as well. In a few seconds, it was only Jake and Jonah alone in the small clearing.

His chest pounding, Jake couldn't breath. He slipped his hand up and felt his chest and felt several holes that had broken through the outer tactical vest layer of the armor, but he couldn't tell how deep they went. The armor was supposed to protect against most bullets but Jake wasn't sure how well it would hold up as close as he had been to Jonah. The burning stabbing in his chest was proof that something had definitely made it through the armor.

Jake watched in horror as Jonah began reaching into the bag and pulled out a grenade, holding it ready with one hand. Would Jonah really kill him? Death by grenade blast wasn't how he saw himself dying.

"Let us pull him out of there and you won't get hurt." Sergeant McCloskey called out from another direction. It sounded like he was a fair distance away, however.

"I'm already fuckin' hurt," Jonah yelled.

Jake heard the faint echo of talking over the radio but couldn't make it out though he thought he heard his name being called. He had dropped his helmet when he had fallen. It was several feet off to the side. Jake slowly rolled over to his side facing Jonah, needing to not give Jonah as easy of a target. He tried to reach for his helmet but it was still a foot away. He tried to look like he was seriously injured, which really didn't take much faking as he wasn't sure how bad his injuries were. He could be bleeding internally as far as he knew. Jonah followed his movement with the gun still at him, but didn't say anything. Then something caught Jonah's attention as his head jerked up.

"You step any closer and I will kill him." Jonah waved the gun weakly at Jake.

Jake blinked through his pain to finally get a good look at Jonah. Jonah was not doing well. His face was flushed and Jake was able to see the pain in his features. He likely had lost a lot of blood and Jake was able to now see a tourniquet tied above Jonah's thigh and his jeans were soaked with blood. It was likely Jonah was going into shock.

"Come-" Jake tried to talk, but felt the air coming slowly, not to mention the mud in his mouth. "Come on, Jonah. You don't want to do this."

Jonah glanced down at him and met his eyes. Blues eyes full of terror and something more. It was the look of fear, like a wild animal cornered, that met Jake's eyes. It was a look he would never forget for the rest of his life. Memories flashed through his mind, Jonah welcoming him into his house and into his business, talking to him for long hours as Jake ranted about his own father and his terrible lot in life, of not being able to find work, to keep his grades up in school, to ever do anything right or good enough for his father. Jonah had taken him under his wing, letting him work for him, working along side him on cars, even letting Jake fix up the Plymouth Roadrunner as a present. Jonah had done a lot for his confidence where his own father never had.

"I can't believe you were a part of this, Jake. No wonder they broke in and took us out so easily." Jonah told him. "You of all people. You were like a son to me..."

"That stopped a long time ago when you wanted me to help you with armed robbery." Jake threw back, suddenly angry. Even now, Jonah couldn't see what he had been doing was wrong. That had been Jonah's biggest downfall. As long as he could get away with things, he didn't see anything wrong in his actions. Jake had nearly fallen into the trap as well. Actions had consequences, something Jake had been learning the hard way. And even after all this time and years spent in prison, Jonah had yet to learn this.

"You should have been there, you should have had Chris's back..." Jonah lamented, closing his eyes as he rested his head back against the tree. Then he opened his eyes, now full of anger. "And you ran instead going in to help him."

"You are not going to blame me for Chris's death." Jake replied, his body shaking as memories of that night came back. They had been about to hijack an armored truck delivering money to the Liberty Bank on the outskirts of Jericho. It had been dark and Jake was supposed to be backup and lookout for anyone that might have seen them. But he had gotten cold feet, suddenly realizing that he could do serious jail time if caught and convicted, and risking never being able to open his flight school or become a pilot so he could earn a decent living. So he had tagged along, but as soon as he heard gunshots, he bolted, not looking back or checking to see what had really happened. A security guard had gotten the drop on Chris who had become over-agitated when things weren't going according to plan. The second shot had hit Chris in the head, killing him instantly. Jake had panicked, scared of getting caught, afraid of what it would mean to his family if they found out he was involved. They had when Mitchell Cafferty had started naming names. But they had had no proof other than Mitchell's word and the grand jury hadn't indicted Jake. Mitchell had gotten a five year sentence and was out on probation after three years. Chris had paid for the crime with his life. Jake had taken off after that, hating all the rumors and what it had done to his family. The worst part had been when his grandfather had said he knew Jake didn't have anything to do with it. His father and mother had agreed to keep the truth from his grandfather, something Jake regretted to this day. He should have told him the truth.

"And Trace is dead too now, isn't he?" Jonah nodded behind Jake.

Jake glanced over to where they had dragged Trace out of the clearing. It didn't look like the soldier was trying to work on him any longer.

"I'm not going to go there, Jake." Jonah said, half sobbing, his eyes partially closed when Jake looked back at him. "Not to their prison camps. Do you have any idea what they are like? It's somebody's sick idea of hell on earth."

"Like this world of ours now isn't?" Jake had heard some stories, especially from the soldiers and some from Rob Hawkins and the Underground. They were using the prison camps for cheap labor, to work on building and fixing things and other labor that they couldn't pay people to do or get volunteers for. The work was hard, such as mining, farming and burying the dead and cleaning up in some of the areas affected by radiation. Prisoner rights were gone and the way some of the prisoners were treated was abysmal. There was little to no healthcare, terrible food, no medicine and violence was common amongst the prisoners and the guards.

"You've got it easy, Jake, in your cushy little town of Jericho. So protected for some god damn reason by the military. The rest of the country has gone to hell. Why in hell they are here anyway, searching for something, asking questions? What's so fucking important about Nowheresviille, Kansas?" Jonah asked.

Jake knew, but he wasn't about to tell Jonah that. Jake tried to stay focused, but the pain had started to mess with his thinking.

"I can try to keep you from going there," Jake stated, trying to breathe slowly. The pain in his chest was increasing and getting worse the more he moved and breathed. He wasn't sure he really could save Jonah from the prison camps, but maybe he could put in a good word. It wasn't looking good if those soldiers didn't survive from the grenade, however.

Jonah shook his head. "Me? No. They are going to send me to the worst place they can, especially after all I've done and what they are going to find in there." Jonah nodded back toward the compound. "People die in those prison camps, Jake, and they don't even care. They even let prisoners escape to let them run so the guards can have a field day hunting them down and shooting them. Have you heard that, Mr. High and Mighty?"

Jake moved slightly and found a position that didn't seem to hurt as bad. He needed to distract Jonah with other thoughts. "Do you have any idea what all this has been doing... has done to Emily?"

"I never meant for it to get this bad. It just happened and it was so easy. This is the new world out there, Jake." Jonah stated. "I know you like your little world of Jericho, but it's hell out there elsewhere. Everyone is just trying to survive and he with the best goods, men and guns will always stay ahead."

"It didn't have to be this way, Jonah. You could have come back to Jericho-"

"Jericho? Hah!" Jonah laughed. "And what has Jericho ever done for me? I try to help you out and what's the thanks I get? A few hours with my daughter and barely a thank you for saving your asses on more than one occasion. Do you have any idea how my men have been keeping out the violence from getting too close to Jericho?"

"Violence? You mean like holding families at gunpoint and stealing their food and valuables?" Jake stifled back a groan as he struggled to breathe. And it was the military keeping out the violence. And the border patrol. They all had worked together to keep Jericho safe. To think that Jonah was doing that with his activities was laughable. Most of their complaints all seemed to point to Jonah and his men.

"I gotta have something to keep me in business." Jonah quickly replied. Jake noticed that he had lowered his gun, his hand shaking slightly as he held the grenade in the other hand.

"What business? Slavery? Illegal drugs? Come on, you have never stooped that low before. Or had you?" Jake struggled to be able to talk, his voice hoarse. He tried to sit up, uncomfortable with his vulnerability and closeness to that grenade, not to mention Jonah's quickly deteriorating mental stability. But he found it hard to move, his entire chest was hurting. He arrived at a half sitting position, using his arms to hold himself upright. "The government is trying to restore order and you were making that difficult."

Jonah laughed. "You don't believe this government is going to really fix things do you? Do you have any idea what they are up to? How they are kidnapping people and putting them to work for them making bombs and guns and armor for their army so they can go to war with the East? I can't believe you're actually working for them, Jake. You, who turned his back on working for me, are now working for something far worse than me."

Jake didn't want to get into a discussion about the government, especially right now. He knew Jonah was right, but that wasn't what he came here to do. There were more important things to do, like saving Jonah's life. "They gave you chance to surrender peacefully. They still will and they can save you from bleeding to death. All you have to do is put down that grenade... with the pin in it and toss it and the bag out here with the gun."

"Like hell, Jake. It's too late, too late for me, too late for this world we live in. Do you really think I was going to sit by and watch everything I had built up for so many years be taken away? After watching my country destroying itself with nukes and civil war? No, the only way I want to live in this world is my way. And if I can't do that, then I might as well not be part of it."

Jonah reached for his grenade pin.

"Jonah, no! Don't!" Jake shouted, his chest protesting at the strain. "You'll kill me too, you don't really want that do you? You were like a father to me, Jonah."

"I've already shot you." Jonah half sobbed. "Emily will never forgive me if you die."

He heard Sergeant McCloskey call from behind him, this time his voice sounded closer. "Then let us get him out of there. Then we'll talk."

"I'm not putting down this gun or grenade." Jonah called out.

"All right, you don't have to. Keep them. Just don't shoot the soldiers as they pull Jake out of there." The sergeant requested.

Jonah nodded before looking down at Jake again.

"Father?" Jonah laughed. "Some father I have been. I let Chris die and Emily won't even talk to me."

Jake heard footsteps coming toward him. He needed to make Jonah surrender peacefully. He couldn't really be serious about killing himself, could he? Jake had to talk fast. "Emily will talk to you if you just go quietly. She might even be able to come see you at the camps."

But Jonah wasn't listening. He had rolled his head back, eyes closed and pain evident in his face. Jonah looked older than Jake ever remembered him seeming. When had Jonah gotten old?

"Nothing I ever was ever good enough for her." Jonah was crying now. Jake wasn't sure who he was talking about at first. "I did everything right, everything her way for so long, getting married when we found out she was knocked up, settling down, trying to work hard and overtime, doing things the right way so she'd have a nice house and all the things she wanted. But it was never enough, never good enough."

Hands were reaching down for him, distracting him. Jake needed to get through to Jonah, but Jonah was still rambling on. He waved the hands away and they paused for a second.

"And when I finally found the ways to get her the things she wanted, the new house, the new cars, the nice clothes, the baby boy, it was still never good enough." Jonah continued, his eyes closed.

Jake remembered the Prowse's house on the north side of Jericho. It had been new when they had moved in back when Emily and Jake had been in middle school. Emily's mother had spent a lot of money furnishing the house and loved to throw big parties for the better-off residents of Jericho, pretending to be a part of their society, though Jake had known that Jonah had quickly become deep in debt, according to his father who had often stepped in as mayor to help Jonah keep his house. The Prowse's had declared bankruptcy and they had taken the new car and many of the expensive belongings to help pay off the debts Jonah and Barbara Prowse had racked up. It had been a public embarrassment, one that had left Emily upset from the fights that went on at home and embarrassed when they had had to wear second hand clothes and get food stamps. Barbara had started drinking after that and before long Jonah had picked up with his life of crime again, though no one had ever really known for many years, though the rumor mill had said that Jonah was up to no good again. Jonah had moved out and they had divorced.

"And I wasn't there for her when she needed me most, when she was sick and needed me."

Jake had known that Emily's mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer but hadn't told anyone, somehow wanting to die, giving up on living. She had been saved from a long and painful death by a car accident that many still believed to be suicide. Barbara Prowse had been driving home late one night from New Bern, after having spent several hours at a bar, and the blood tests later had said she had a blood alcohol limit not too far over the limit, but enough to impair her driving. There were no skids marks or other cars involved with the accident, leading them to believe that the accident had been intentional. They had discovered the advanced cancer during the autopsy. Emily hadn't taken the news well at all, and Jake had been there for her, after only been dating for just over a year. After that, Jonah had turned into a harder person, not letting anyone close, but still acting like a father for Emily and Chris as he moved back home to take care of his children It was during Jake's frequent visits that he and Jonah had gotten close and Jonah had started letting him tag along to his trucking compound and letting him work on cars with the rest of his crew. They had shared a passion for fast and old cars and Jonah let him have the Plymouth Roadrunner as long as Jake fixed it up. They had worked on the car together, Jonah teaching him how to fix it while also letting Jake start working for him. Jake had gone away after high school to Embry, but had returned to work for Jonah again once he couldn't find any local work piloting. Emily had been the main draw keeping him in Jericho, that and his family.

"She was my beautiful angel, my Barbie doll," Jonah kept rambling on. "And she's gone and it was my fault."

Jake looked at Jonah, realizing he was looking at a man who had given up already. He knew that he was going to die, either from the soldiers or the grenade. "No! Jonah, no! Don't do this, think of Emily!"

But the men were picking him up to move him and Jake shrugged out of their grasp again, not wanting to go. If he was out of the way, Jonah might do what he thought he was about to do. Jake yelled at the soldiers trying to pick him up to drag him. "No, leave me here, I can talk to him, I can-"

"Get him out of there. Now!" Sergeant McCloskey ordered.

They were able to finally grab hold of him and begin dragging him back away from Jonah. The sergeant stepped forward to talk to Jonah as they set Jake down in the shelter of a tree. Jake struggled to get up, but strong hands pushed him back down. The last words he heard was the sergeant offering to make a deal with Jonah, then he couldn't hear any more as their conversation was too quiet for him to hear.

The pain of moving nearly took his breath away as Jake looked down to the soldier who began cutting open the material of his OTV. The front of his vest was coated with mud and blood, but he wasn't sure where it had come from. One of soldiers who had dragged him was Weiss he realized and he attempted to smile at her but it quickly faded as the pain of hands tugging at his vest sent waves of agony throughout his body.

"You have to let me talk to Jonah," Jake protested, pushing the soldier's hands away from his chest and struggling again in an attempt to get to his feet.

"Any problems breathing?" The other soldier asked, pushing him back against the tree. Jake saw a medic badge on his chest.

Jake gave a weak nod. "A little bit."

The medic checked his eyes, his pulse and his breathing. "Coughing up blood or taste it?"

Jake shook his head.

The soldier pushed his fingers lightly into several holes in the front of Jake's vest. "Looks like a couple may have gotten through."

The soldier expertly unfastened the front of Jake's chest armor.

"Hell, that hurts." Jake yelled as the armor was moved. There was a stabbing pain in the left side of his chest, but it hurt too much to look down to see. There also was a pounding pain in the middle of his chest.

"This is why." The medic pointed out to where a bullet had been mostly stopped by the vest. It pressed out of the vest and dropped into the man's hand.

"How many shots?" He asked Jake.

"Dunno," Jake breathed. With the armor off, it was easier to breath but still hurt like hell. "Two, maybe three."

The medic studied the armor for a second. His fingers found two more bullet holes, but no bullets. That meant the bullets were in Jake.

Jake shuddered, fear turning to panic. They didn't have any decent medical care, let alone surgery anywhere nearby. He liked to think that this military would take him to Cheyenne to be treated, but that was a good hour trip by helicopter.. If the bullets were inside him, he could be bleeding internally, or worse, they could have hit an organ.

The medic must have thought the same thing as he began pulling Jake's black shirt out of his pants to check underneath. "How are you feeling?"

"Just mostly pain."

"Feeling weak or dizzy? Anything else odd?"

Jake shook his head. Jake glanced around and saw several soldiers half-watching them with interest. Surely they had seen a man shot before.

"Well I'll be damned." The medic stared in disbelief. All the eyes now looked at him, or rather, at his chest.

Jake looked down. In the middle of his chest, a bullet had struck and been stopped by one his dog tags, the tags he used to wear when working for his contracting company abroad. He wore them as a badge of honor, in memory of his friend Charlie that he had lost in Iraq. And now they had just saved his life. Or not.

"Holy shit, you're lucky. That's twice-" The soldier that had seen Jake's helmet hit by shrapnel began than stopped himself. "Shit!"

Lifting Jake's shirt higher, the medic found another bullet hole. This one was oozing blood and was on the left side of Jake's chest. It was the one that was likely causing him the most pain, though the center of his chest was hurting pretty good too as was another spot the right side of his chest, but they were minimal compared to the left.

"Now this one could be a problem." The man told him as he studied Jake's wound. It was bleeding but not substantially, but enough that you couldn't quite see how deep the bullet had gone. The medic pulled out several pieces of gauze from sterile wrapping and starting pressing it onto the bullet hole in Jake's chest. Each touch of the wound send waves of pain through Jake though the medic's touch was light. He felt something hard underneath the gauze that didn't feel normal.

"Aren't you going to see how deep it went?" Jake asked. Suddenly, none of the soldiers were looking at him now.

The medic shook his head. "Not a good place to be digging around in a hole. Besides I think I can feel it. If it hit an artery, pulling it out could make it bleed more. I don't want to damage things more by doing things I'm not trained for."

"Am I gonna die?" Jake asked, staring down to see his own blood soaking the white gauze. He had been cut and hurt before, but never this seriously. The bullet couldn't be far from his heart. Unlike his years away when he wasn't sure he wanted to live or die, Jake now had so much to live for... for saving Jericho and his country, for his family, and a future with Heather if things ever returned to normal and she'd still have someone like him.

The medic gave him an amused expression. "If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that one, I'd be a millionaire."

"That's a no?" Jake leaned his head back against the tree supporting him and closed his eyes.

"Not today at least, but I can't be totally sure. Nine months ago, definitely not. With no hospitals, lack of antibiotics-"

"But you have antibiotics for your troops, right?" Jake asked.

"For the troops, yes." He replied. But Jake heard the implied tone in the man's voice that said that didn't necessarily include him despite all the work he had done for the military. "We'll need to get you checked out by a real doctor and soon. Just let me know if you feel any change, dizziness, heart racing, more problems breathing."

"Got it." Jake replied sharply, not wanting to think about how dangerous his predicament was. But Jonah was in worse shape.

"The guys with the stretcher are on their way." The medic nodded back toward the compound.

Jake shook his head and attempted to get to his feet. "Not until I make sure Jonah is okay."

"The sergeant is dealing with it." Weiss told him. She had been quiet throughout the ordeal, watching the medic work while still keeping an eye over to where Jonah and the sergeant were still talking. Jake could occasionally hear their voices but couldn't make out any words.

Long minutes had passed, minutes that Jonah didn't have if he was still bleeding and going into shock. Jake's mind started to drift into a haze of pain and he lost track of what was going on around him. He shuddered to think that Jonah would actually commit suicide. What if Jonah was right? What if the prison camps were as terrible as Jonah said?

"I can give you something for the pain." The medic informed him, pulling something else out of a pocket. "This is gonna sting but it will feel better afterward."

The medic pushed something into Jake's arm and it stung like hell, maybe because his body was already in so much pain. Jake swore just as bad as the soldiers often did and there were amused glances all around him. But then the drug kicked in and Jake started to feel a little better.

There were footsteps nearby and a soldier looked down at Jake, a somber expression on his face. "The sarge says that Jonah wants to talk to you, before he... before he... well, you know."

"Can you walk?" Weiss asked him.

"I can try." Jake replied.

"We really shouldn't be moving him-" the medic protested, but Jake was already trying to get to his feet.

The soldiers including Weiss helped him to his feet. It was painful but he was able to breathe better. Jake needed to go talk some sense into Jonah before it was too late. After adding more gauze and the dressing to cover it to Jake's wound, the medic hastily fastened Jake's vest back into place, leaving it somewhat loose.

As Jake hobbled back to the clearing, he saw Sergeant McCloskey and two soldiers standing near him, one with a gun pointed at Jonah. The other got up from Jonah's side where he had been checking out his injuries. Jake saw that he had taken the bag of grenades, not that Jonah seemed to care or notice.

"We gave him something for the pain and he's a little more coherent now." Sergeant McCloskey told Jake as he approached.

Weiss and the other soldier helped keep Jake upright a few yards in front of Jonah.

"Jake." Jonah said. He had a glazed look in his eyes. Jake saw that he still held the grenade. The gun he held loosely in his hand as it lay on his leg.

"You don't have to do this, Jonah, please." Jake pleaded, his voice ragged and hoarse. He didn't want to lose Jonah, not another death on his conscience.

"Can we have a moment?" Jonah asked the sergeant.

Sergeant McCloskey looked from Jonah to Jake then at his soldiers. He nodded. "All right, but don't take long. And if you try anything, I have two snipers locked and loaded to shoot before you can even move."

Jonah just weakly nodded.

"Can you stand on your own?" Weiss asked Jake.

"I'll be all right for a few." Jake answered. He was more concerned about Jonah

Weiss and the soldier let him go and Jake swayed on his feet. He concentrated on staying upright. The soldiers including the sergeant backed away leaving him alone with Jonah.

"Don't do this, Jonah." Jake repeated, softer this time. But he wasn't sure how much the soldiers could hear. His mind wasn't working enough for him to think about it.

Jonah just shook his head before speaking in a hushed whisper. "Jake, listen to me. You cannot trust this government. I don't know why you're working for them."

"I have my reasons." Jake replied, taken aback by Jonah's change in demeanor.

"Maybe you couldn't trust me, but trust me on this. Things are not what the seem. Don't believe anything that they tell you!. Anything!"

Jake wasn't sure if he should just chalk it up to Jonah's state of mind or not But Jonah was staring at him coldly, a determined look in his blue eyes. He seemed very lucid. now. Jake looked Jonah straight in the eyes. "I know. I know more than you think."

Jonah gave him a curious look, one Jake remembered from long ago when Jake and Emily used to go looking for trouble back in high school. "You're up to something, aren't you? Something involving Emily?"

Jake nodded. He knew Jonah had tabs on many things happening both in and around Jericho. It wouldn't take much for Jonah to put two and two together. Jonah still knew Jake pretty well.

"You can be a part of it, Jonah." Jake offered, not sure where he was going with that. All he knew was he needed for Jonah to still hang on to something.

But Jonah only shook his head. "It's too late for me, Jake. I got something else to do now."

There was a long pause as Jake stared at Jonah, not sure what else to say.

Jonah smiled up at him. "I always knew you were too good. Too good for me, though I tried to get you to become like me. That was probably the one failure I'm proud of."

"Jonah, please don't do this. We can work something out. Or we can come get you-"

But Jonah wasn't listening to him. "Just tell Emily I'm sorry, for everything. And I need you to promise me..."

Jonah started to fade off, his eyes closing as he leaned his head back against the tree. Was his moment of lucidity gone? How much blood had Jonah lost?

"Promise you what?" Jake asked, suddenly cold and afraid.

"Promise me you'll look after her, you'll take care of my little girl." Jonah opened his eyes to stare at Jake.

"No," Jake shook his head. "You're gonna need to do that yourself. You can't do that if you're dead."

"Dead here, dead in some prison camp, what does it matter? I'm not gonna be there for my girl and I know how much you two loved each other. I need to know you're gonna watch out for her, make sure she's okay and she's happy."

"Jonah-" Jake protested.

Jonah yelled. "Promise me, Jake!"

Jake sighed. "All right, I promise."

"And promise me you won't let this government get away with what they are doing."

All of a sudden, Sergeant McCloskey was standing next to Jake again. "That's enough. We don't have all day. Weiss and Turner, get Green out of here."

"I can't believe you're going to let him do this!" Jake turned on the sergeant.

"He needs emergency care. Do you really think he's going to get that at that shit-hole of a med clinic of yours? He wouldn't even survive the trip." The sergeant was in his face and looked angry. "We gave him some good drugs so he's not even feeling anything right now."

Jake glanced at Jonah, noticing the hard stare that Jonah was giving him. It looked like the bleeding in his leg had stopped, but Jake didn't know how much blood he had lost already. Jonah looked much more alert and not as badly hurt now. Jake was torn between wanting to stop them, wanting to prolong Jonah's life and save him, or following through with his wish. Jake had to believe Jonah was not beyond redemption. If he wasn't, that meant Jake could be too, after all the bad things he had done in his life, for the crimes he had committed, hurting his family, running away, not being there when his grandfather died or there for Emily when she needed him. He saw himself in Jonah, how he could have ended up if he hadn't left when he did, if he hadn't seen the things he did in the world and began to change. If he hadn't come back and the world had changed, if he hadn't met Heather and realized that there was more he could do in life then being the mayor's messed up son.

"Jonah, please!" Jake started toward Jonah but the sergeant stepped in his way.

"Tell her how much I love her. Goodbye, Jake. " Jonah said with a half-salute. "I'd say 'See you in hell' but I think we're already there."

"Clear the area," Sergeant McCloskey ordered loudly.

"No!" Jake yelled as Weiss and the soldier named Turner stepped up again. He struggled against them, wanting to get to Jonah and tear away the gun and grenade from him, but Weiss whipped his feet out from under him, not that it took much at this point, and she and the soldier caught him neatly.

"You don't want to watch or see this. You can barely walk as it is." Weiss told him. They carried him over to where they had a stretcher already waiting for him. In the distance, he could see the helicopters landing just outside the compound. Ahead of them, he saw two other stretchers bearing the soldiers hit by the grenade being carried up the hill. The jarring motion of being carried set his ribs on fire.

They were carrying him up the hill toward the compound when there was a loud explosion behind them. The ground shook and Jake could hear the sound of mud and other debris being forced into the air from the explosion. He heard the shower of mud as it came back down and shivered as he considered that might not be just mud.

"Jonah!" Jake cried, biting back tears that weren't due to the pain.

Jonah's words haunted him. 'Don't believe anything that they tell you!. Anything!" and about things not appearing as they seem. Why had Jonah been so vehement about that, especially out of earshot of the sergeant? Especially right before he was going to kill himself?

He needed something to think about other than the pain in his chest that wasn't just due to being shot. Grief washed over him again, tears filling his eyes along with the many memories of times he had spent with Jonah. And what in hell was he going to tell Emily?

Too many people around him were dying and someone was responsible and was going to pay. He needed to get to the bottom of all this mess, find out who set off the bombs and why. If this new world was bad enough for Jonah to kill himself rather than face justice, Jake needed to save this world, to return it back to what it once was.

(To be continued...)


	28. Chapter 28

  
Full Circle, Chapter Twenty Eight

"Where is he?" Gail Green asked as she raced into the Jericho med center. Heather was marching alongside her, her heart beating fast with fear. They passed by a number of patients waiting to see the doctors, the waiting room packed as it often was lately, even this early in the morning. Heather and Gail didn't even slow down as they approached the nurses station.

Fifteen minutes ago, they had heard a helicopter flying low overhead. Both Heather and Gail had exchanged a glance as they worked on weeding the small garden in the backyard, both needing something to distract themselves while waiting for news on how the raid had gone. Someone ran over to tell Gail that they had seen the helicopter landing at the med center. Then two soldiers arrived at the house a minute later saying that Jake had been shot. Heather had tried not to panic and Gail's calm demeanor helped her stay strong, though she knew that Jake's mother was just as terrified as she was, no doubt thinking about the last time she had been told a loved one had been shot. The military offered to drive them over to the med center in their Humvee but they didn't know Jake's condition other than he had been conscious when they loaded him up in the chopper along with several other wounded. Heather had been praying the entire way to the med center, her heart pounding as she feared the worst.

"That way." The nurse manning the station told them, pointing down the main hall. The woman had the familiar look of trying to handle too many things at once on her face as she barely glanced up from the clipboard she was holding. "Room Four."

"Thanks, Becky." Gail called as they passed, but Heather could hear the faintest touch of emotion in the older woman's voice.

Gail lead the way, knowing exactly where to go. Heather noticed several women in the examining rooms that they passed and two sitting down outside the second nurses station. She didn't recognize any of them and it was odd to see new faces in Jericho. They looked to be in shock, covered in dirt and dust, and dressed in mismatched clothing or wrapped up in blankets drinking from reused water bottles. Several had oxygen masks on and were coughing. She saw the doctor Jessica working on one of the women as they ran by. 

They passed the make-shift maternity ward area of the clinic, which really consisted of one examining room and a small isolated room for delivered babies. Heather saw several babies through the glass window as they passed. There were several women waiting in the small waiting area, with various stages of evident pregnancy. Bomb babies as they were calling them. The first batch from about nine months after the bombs went off and people thought the world was ending and the rest were on the way from when birth control had run out. She tried to not think about what it must be like, trying to have a baby without the conveniences of ultrasound and pain medication and other modern medicine, not to mention the lack of proper care if anything went wrong with the mother or baby. The number of miscarriages were high from what she had heard. 

Down the last hall, they found Eric pacing outside a room with a closed door, stroking his beard with worry. How Eric had heard the news, Heather wasn't sure but maybe he had been listening over the fire department radio they shared with the mayor's office. Jake had asked Eric not to get involved in the raid on Jonah's compound despite being a volunteer fireman for the fire department. The fire department had used up precious gas to stand by down the road from the compound in case they were needed. Heather wondered if they had been needed.

Eric glanced at them as soon as he heard them walk up and looked relieved to see them.

"Is he okay?" Gail asked her younger son, her voice finally sounding her worry now that it was just Heather and Eric. Gail's anguish mirrored Heather's own.

"Yeah, I think so. They are still checking him out." Eric reported. "I just got here. They didn't tell me anything about what happened, but I know the fire trucks were called in."

Gail barely slowed her steps as she pushed open the door and Heather followed her in the room.

"Hey, they asked me not to go-" Eric stopped, probably realizing that trying to stop either of the women would be useless.

In the room, Dr. Kenshy and a nurse were working on Jake who lay slightly propped up on the gurney bed. He was still dressed in black pants, but Heather could see he was partially covered in mud and other stains that were probably blood. His or someone else's, she wasn't sure. There were scrapes and more blood on his face and matted in his hair. He was bare to the waist. His shirt had been dropped on the floor by the bed along with his muddy boots and vest. His chest looked bruised in several spots, with a giant red mark in the middle of his chest and a bleeding wound just below his heart on his left side. There was a smear of blood across his chest. His usual dog tags were missing from around his neck, but Heather wasn't sure if he had worn them that day though she had never seen him take them off, not even when he showered.

Heather panicked and stopped in her tracks, fearing the worst, her heart racing. What if Eric had been told wrong? Jake had been shot in the chest. "Oh God!"

But Jake looked alert as he glanced up to see her and Gail. As his eyes met hers, Heather could see he was in pain and her heart trembled at the thought. He had been holding an oxygen mask in his right hand, barely holding it over his face, though he dropped it when he saw them. There was blood on the mask and his hand but it wasn't that caught her attention. There was anguish in his eyes. Jake was hurting in more ways than one. Something had happened. Something had gone wrong, more than Jake being shot. Was Jake dying? Her heart felt like it went from racing to a dead stop. She had gotten so close to Jake in a short amount of time, she didn't want to lose him. Flashes of memories assaulted her mind... the feel of his lean length pressed against her as they cuddled on the couch, reading books after a quiet picnic out on the ranch, the sound of his laughter when he teased her, the sweet good night kisses each night at her bedroom door.

"Hey, you can't come-" Kenshy began as he glanced up then stopped when he saw Gail. The doctor had been focusing on the bleeding gunshot wound in Jake's chest. He pointed at the metal tray of medical tools by the bed. Heather noticed the doctor did have on latex gloves at least. "Nevermind, hand me those forceps please. And Gail, if you could wash up and get those linen bandages ready."

The nurse handed the doctor the tool. Heather caught sight of a tray of clean linen on the far counter. Gail stared in shock for a moment at her eldest son and his obvious gunshot wound. It was something a mother never wanted to see.

Heather rushed to Jake's other side, opposite of the doctor. Jake gave her a weak smile, but she wasn't sure what to do/ She wanted to touch and comfort him and to ask him what had happened, but her throat was choked with emotion. Instead, she froze, and as a person that was normally calm in an emergency, for once, she felt overwhelmed by panic.

Heather watched in horror as the doctor removed what looked to be a bullet from Jake's chest. It didn't look like he had to dig real deep. But still, she felt her stomach lurch at the sight of Jake being hurt and bleeding. The doctor dropped the bullet into a small tray with a metallic clatter and reached for more linen cloth, pressing it to the wound. Blood soaked through the cloth. Jake's blood.

"Jake!" she whispered at him, her voice filled with worry. With the bullet gone, she felt a small measure of relief that it appeared to be easy to remove. Needing to touch him, Heather took his right hand and felt the stickiness instantly. It was covered in blood, like the smear that ran across his chest. Fortunately, she never fainted at the sight of blood. She considered herself pretty strong willed, even in the face of an emergency, but seeing Jake hurt like this was enough to shake her up worse than she ever remembered. Jake could have died. He could still die.

"I'm okay," He squeezed her hand, his voice hoarse and unsteady as he reassured her. He nodded at the floor. "The vest caught the worst of it."

Heather saw the remains of a black vest on the floor. She knew Jake was supposed to have gotten the armor down at the outpost that morning. It looked like hi-tech kevlar body armor similar to what the military wore, though this was black. Mud and what might be blood drops were on the floor around the vest.

Gail finally turned away, looking noticeably relieved, and began washing her hands in the sink. 

"And your dog tag." Kenshy added, nodding at the tray next to the bed. Heather was able to see the dog tags Jake always wore in the tray and one of the tags look like it had been pounded out of shape as if from the impact of a bullet.

"You are a very lucky man. That would have been a bad spot to take a bullet." Kenshy pointed at the red mark in the middle of Jake's chest. Now that she saw it up close, it looked like the outline of a dog tag. "Liver, small intestine, maybe even the pancreas or a major artery. Instead, probably just bruised your sternum."

"Is he going to be okay?" She heard Gail ask from over next to the doctor. His mother still wore a worried expression but didn't look as scared as Heather had felt. Gail dried her hands off then handed the doctor a clean linen to apply to Jake's bullet wound. Heather watched the nurse standing next to her threading a needle with surgical thread. 

"He'll be fine as long as this doesn't get infected." Dr. Kenshy replied. He washed out the wound with some of the homemade antiseptic. 

Jake shook and hissed with the pain. The sound nearly broke Heather's heart and she felt his hand tighten around hers so hard that it hurt her. 

Kenshy continued on in his slightly accented voice. "The vest stopped most of this bullet and the dog tag the other but they must have been close to point blank range."

"Heh, it was." Jake stated then winced again as the doctor lifted the bloody linen up to check the wound. Jake looked away from the sight of his own wound. His gaze stopped on Eric who had followed them into the room but still stood near the doorway. "Jonah wasn't gonna go quietly."

"Just a few bruised ribs, I think. Not uncommon when wearing body armor. I've seen a lot of those lately." Kenshy said. Heather knew that they sometimes brought the soldiers to be treated at the clinic. The doctor took the thread and needle from the nurse and prepared to begin stitching up the bullet wound. Kenshy was looking more at Gail when he talked. "We ran out of xray film months ago, so we won't be able to check for other damage. I'll do a physical check once we get him stitched and bandaged up."

Jake looked back at Heather and she saw the pain and sorrow in his eyes. She used her free hand to stroke Jake's hair where it lay damp against his forehead. She was able to see a mat of blood on his scalp but it look like it wasn't bleeding anymore. There was blood on his face but it didn't seem like it came from any other injuries. Her touch seemed to calm him. He closed his eyes at her touch, turning his face against her hand. His skin was warm and she tried not to think the worst. Her heart was still racing, panicking at the thought that she could have lost him.

"Now just hold still," the doctor ordered as he began the first stitches of the small hole over Jake's left rib. Heather's curiosity won over and she watched as Kenshy expertly pulling the pieces of flesh together with the stitches, closing the wound. She noticed that he made small perfect stitches, then again, she had heard that Dr. Kenshy had been a plastic surgeon and probably had a lot of practice at it. "Sorry, still no pain medicine today. You can check tomorrow however."

It sounded like a bad line out of a socialist film. Heather knew they hadn't had any pain medication for months and probably weren't likely to get any for a long time. They couldn't even get antibiotics from the government. They had started working on herbal and natural remedies instead, including an attempt to make penicillin. Infection could be nearly as deadly as a bullet wound nowadays. Heather glanced up to see Eric staring at his brother, looking just as concerned as she felt.

"They gave me a little something out in the field," Jake said before inhaling to hold his breath to to hold still again. He still clutched her hand and stared at Heather with half-closed eyes while the doctor continued his careful stitches. Jake still had a haunted, distant look in his eyes. 

A little higher and that bullet might have hit his heart, Heather thought to herself. But the wound didn't seem very deep. Heather tried to give Jake a reassuring look back and she saw a flash of acknowledgment cross his features. They had gotten rather good at nonverbal communication in the months they had been together, or at least Heather had gotten good at reading Jake most of the time.

"So you really took out Jonah?" Eric asked.

"Yeah. And the rest of the men." Jake replied, his voice wavering.

Dr. Kenshy eyed Jake, pausing briefly, but continuing on with his stitches. The nurse cleared her throat and looked between Jake and Eric curiously. Gail shook her head from behind the nurse and doctor, silently telling them to not talk about it further. They often tried to keep town business quiet, especially as gossip was so rampant.

But something else had happened, Heather guessed based on Jake's expression. People must have died or been injured, though she hadn't seen any sign of any other serious injuries on the way in unless they were being treated down at the military outpost. She knew Jake had been trying hard to make sure no one got hurt or killed, but with guns and explosives, anything could have happened. This wasn't a movie or TV show where everything was make believe. This was real life with guns and explosives. Seeing Jake hurt hit her hard and made her realize that this was reality, this was their new world, as hard as she tried to not think about it. Violence was common elsewhere, just not as much in Jericho thanks to Jake and the many others trying to protect them. Stopping Jonah had been a necessary part of that.

"God damn it!" Jake hissed under his breath and flinched as the doctor pulled the thread through a stitch and tight. He pulled his head back to hit the bed beneath him, eyes closing. Heather could see him clutching the gurney with his free left hand.

"Hold still!" Kenshy ordered again but didn't stop his stitching.

Jake stopped moving but Heather still felt him quivering with pain. Jake breathed slowly and carefully. A few minutes later, Kenshy was finished with the stitches. Kenshy checked the wound on Jake's scalp and declared that it didn't need stitches but would need washed out. The nurse came over and began washing the blood away from Jake's wounds and Heather helped Gail wash down Jake's chest, then wiped both her and Jake's hands clean. Dr. Kenshy took several long strips of linen cloth from Gail and began wrapping Jake's ribs up with it, instructing Heather and Gail how it was done. He used the linen to hold the cloth dressing over Jake's stitches in place. They didn't have much tape or gauze any more and had to make due with cloth bandages, which were often rewashed, bleached and re-used. At the clinic, they were using their second batch of homemade soap and cleaners they had made from the lye water Heather and Jake had made. An experiment at the high school had proven that their cleaning and sterilization process was working fairly well so far. Heather said a quick prayer that it would be enough to prevent infection.

Once they were done wrapping his chest up, Jake grabbed Heather's hand again, squeezing it tight as he pulled it against his side. His skin was warm despite the coolness of the room and Heather tried to not worry and think he was getting feverish already. She saw Gail's concerned expression from across the gurney as she helped on the other side. His ribs taken care of, Kenshy took off his surgical gloves and stood back, letting the nurse clean up the scrapes on Jake's scalp. While the nurse worked, Jake continued to hold Heather's hand, silently mouthing to her that he was going to be okay then giving her a warm smile.

"Don't worry. I think he'll live." Kenshy joked, looking at the anxious expression on Heather's face.

Heather smiled weakly at him.

Dr. Kenshy reached for his stethoscope and made Jake inhale and exhale several times as he listened at various spots on Jake's chest. "Breath sounds are normal, but your heartbeat is a bit fast, probably because of a certain beautiful female standing next to you."

Kenshy gave Heather a warm smile and she blushed. Dr. Kenshy had a reputation in town for being a flirt. Jake stiffened at the remark, glancing with his eyes between her and Dr. Kenshy. 

"We normally would give you a pad to help with supporting the ribs, but you'll have to make do with bandages for now. That and I'd recommend bed rest for the next couple of days to minimize movement and give those ribs a head start on healing. If you have ice, keep it on the area to try and help with the pain and swelling." Kenshy ordered. "That should be it for now. Come by in a few days and I'll check and see how things are looking. Stitches can come out in a week or so."

Kenshy stood up and shook his head as he lifted the battered dog tag, eying it with amazement before dropping it noisily back into the tray. "You are a very lucky man, Jake Green."

Gail laid a hand on the doctor's arm. "Thank you, as always."

"And do keep an eye out for infection of those wounds. Keep them clean and covered if possible." Kenshy added to Gail as he nodded at Jake. "But why am I bother telling you that."

Heather knew that Gail had finally gone back to working at the clinic again several times a week. She was glad to see Jake's mother getting back involved in helping out . Gail had been pretty down for the past months, not talking much about Jake's father, but Heather and many of Gail's friends had slowly been encouraging her to get back involved in helping Jericho. They needed her wisdom and guidance.

"And thank you, too, Lisa." Gail told the nurse. Heather vaguely recognized her as the wife of one of the high school teachers.

"Well, off to see about a pack of abused women with smoke inhalation and malnutrition." Kenshy said abruptly and left the room. The nurse named Lisa picked up the dirty linen and other tools taking them out of the room, leaving Gail, Eric and Heather with Jake. Heather finally found herself able to calm down, taking a deep breath of relief, knowing Jake was out of danger for now.

"Did you stop Jonah then? And his entire operation?" Eric quickly asked again as soon as the door shut. He looked as if he had been waiting impatiently to quiz Jake. 

A distraught expression crossed Jake's face and he closed his eyes as he nodded. When he opened his eyes again, Heather saw the anguish again in his eyes.

"What happened?" Gail quietly asked, taking Jake's hand on the other side of him. She gave the rest of his wounds a cursory check as if needing to make sure he was indeed okay.

Jake gave them a quick run down of what had happened, describing how they had turned the power off and had taken most of the men alive but Trace Winters and Jonah had nearly blown them up in the basement and had escaped out the tunnel. Heather got the feeling that Jake was leaving out some details, like how close he had been to the danger. Knowing Jake, he had probably been in the thick of things. The price of falling in love with the hero, Heather lamented to herself. Jake described how he got the head wound from the grenades Trace Winters had been tossing at them, then how he had stopped Jonah from killing the soldier trying to save Trace's life, getting shot accidentally by Jonah.

"Oh God!" Gail cried as Jake described how Jonah had blown himself up rather be taken alive. "Does Emily know?"

Jake shook his head and let go of Gail's hand to reach for the oxygen mask again, breathing deeply from it before answering. "I asked them to bring her here. I... I better be the one to tell her."

Gail nodded.

"He didn't want to be taken alive, didn't want to go to their prison camps. He had heard how bad they were." Jake looked at Eric. "And they are bad, Eric."

Eric nodded as if sharing some inside information. Heather guessed it was from the Underground reports.

Heather glanced from Gail and Eric and back to Jake again. The grim reality of what had happened was sinking in. Jonah Prowse had killed himself. Heather thought of Emily and how hard it was going to be for her to hear the news. Emily had said her mother had killed herself as well.

Jake gave Eric a hard look. "And they are taking all the men to the prison camps. All of them. Colonel Hoffman's orders." 

"But I thought he agreed to-" Eric began.

"I thought so, too but things changed. I don't like it. They seem like they are up to something and I don't know what." Jake stated, sounding frustrated and tired. He glanced over to look out the window. "Even Jonah said not to trust them like he knew something he couldn't tell me in front of the soldiers."

"And he killed himself? Rather than be taken alive?" Gail asked, still in shock.

Jake sighed as he turned to nod at his mother. Heather squeezed his hand in support and he gave her a brief grateful smile.

"I'll see what I can find out." Eric said. "And have Gray ask as well. Some of those men have family here. The Herbert's middle son was probably among them. And Billy Roland and Darrin Miller, his wife is pregnant."

"I don't know what's going on with this government," Gail stated, conviction in her voice. "But everything we've been hearing about them just doesn't sound right."

Jake and Eric exchanged another look. Heather knew that they filtered the information they heard in the town hall meetings and even what they told both her and their mother. Heather had started asking Ted for more information he heard from the Underground now that she knew what was going on. The prison camps were being reported as brutal and they used torture and corporal punishment to keep the prisoners under control and weren't above shooting prisoners. And without good medical care, any gunshot was nearly fatal nowadays. Gail told them stories of some of the patients they had been getting at the medical center, some of them from outlying farms and towns, many suffering from infections and other complications of gunshots and other wounds. People were dying from what had once been easily treated injuries. And even more people came the med center for what had once been minor injuries before, not having a pharmacy to buy medicine and other first aid treatments.

"So what's with the women outside? Did they come from the compound?" Heather asked.

Jake nodded. "Jonah was trafficking slaves. He had them locked up in the basement."

Gail stared at Jake, clearly shocked. Jake's eyes met Heather's in a knowing glance. They had often talked about slavery and the treatment of women since the bombs had gone off, especially since she had nearly ended up involved with it herself. They had self-defense classes and other training for women at the workshops at the high school as well as a rule that no women were supposed to walk anywhere alone. Gail knew about Heather's experiences and they had had several women refugees share their stories at the church sessions so they had a pretty good idea how brutal it was out there. But to think it was happening just outside of Jericho, by someone they knew, was hard to take in.

Eric said. "I would have never thought even he would have sank so low."

"I know," Jake replied. "But please, do your best to make sure that information does not get out too soon if possible. I know it will. I'm sure Emily will hear at the outpost, but it's going to be hard enough as it is."

"You got it." Eric replied with a heavy sigh.

And as if on cue, there were footsteps outside and a soft knock on the door. The door opened before any of them could reply and Emily appeared in the doorway. "Jake?! They said you were shot!"

Time seemed to stop as Gail, Eric and Heather all turned to look at her as Jake glanced up. Emily seemed out of breath like she had run the entire way to the med center. She had a frantic expression of worry on her face. She was dressed in a casual dress and a pair of comfortable walking shoes, an outfit like the ones Heather had often seen her wearing to work down at the outpost. 

"Are you okay?" Emily asked, walking into the room. She must not have been told yet, Heather realized, only told about Jake.

"Just a few bruised ribs," Gail answered. "He'll be okay."

"They-" Emily started, talking fast. "They came by and said you were shot and that you wanted to talk to me, I was afraid that..."

That Jake was dying. Heather saw the emotion on Emily's face. Emily still cared for Jake, a lot. Heather sighed inwardly, feeling the awkwardness as a long, heavy silence fell in the room. Heather stopped looking at Emily, not wanting her expression to give too much away. She let her hair fall across her face as she leaned in toward Jake.

Jake finally spoke, breaking the silence. "I should be okay, but I need to talk to Emily. Alone." Jake glanced at Gail, Eric then at last at Heather, pleading silently.

Jake squeezed her hand one last time before Heather let his go. She gave him a look of moral support as she turned to walk away. As she followed Gail and Eric out of the room, she saw a shared look of solemn sadness on their faces as they passed by Emily. Emily gave Heather an cold stare before looking back at Jake. Emily's expression went from relief to worry again.

"Jake, what is it? What happened?" Heather heard Emily asking as they left the room. Gail shut the door behind them.

Outside, Gail led Heather to a storage room and showed her where the clean bandages were kept and they started getting a number of them to take home with them for Jake for later. Eric walked away, saying he was going to check on the women they had brought in then go see if he could borrow a truck with gas to take Jake home in.

Heather felt relief that Jake was going to be all right. But she wasn't sure how Emily was going to take the news. Losing one's parent, despite a strained relationship, was still difficult and in some ways, even worse. She wished she could be there for her old friend, but their friendship had seemed to have fallen apart since Heather got back from New Bern.

Several times over the next ten minutes, Heather and Gail could hear the raised voices coming from Jake's examining room down the hall. Heather and Gail exchanged looks as they kept themselves busy folding bandages and linens. They couldn't quite make out the words most of the time, but Heather thought she heard her own name being mentioned. Jake had rarely talked about his past relationship with Emily with Heather, only saying that it had always been stormy and difficult, something that Gail and others had mentioned. Based on the tone and loudness of their voices, Heather could definitely tell that the two of them were not strangers to fighting.

"Should we go in there and...?" Heather finally asked Gail. Maybe Gail could mediate and help by talking to Emily, though Gail was stil struggling with her own grief. Heather was pretty sure Emily wouldn't want to talk to her at this point.

Gail only paused momentarily in her hasty actions of digging through the cupboards as if looking for something. "Better not."

* * *

"Why is everyone looking at me like that?" Emily asked as soon as the door shut. The click of the door resounded with finality, reminding Jake of the task ahead. The panicked look on Emily's face had come and gone and was back again. "Jake, what happened?"

Jake took a deep breath, as well as he was able to with the tightness in his chest that wasn't just due to his injuries. Emily had had enough bad news in her life. He hadn't been there when Emily had been told about Chris, but he had been with her when she had gotten the news about her mother. Jake had been about to walk with Emily to high school early one brisk autumn morning when the Jericho Sheriff had pulled up outside Emily's house. Emily's mother hadn't come home the previous night, but that wasn't uncommon. Barbara Prowse frequently went on drinking binges and sometimes never made it home. But she would usually show up after a day or two, hungover and angry. But that time, she wasn't coming home. The total shocked look on Emily's face was something he would never forget. Now, he had to be the one to tell her more bad news.

Jake stared up at Emily. There was no easy way to say it. The pain in his chest was returning as the pain meds they had given him were starting to wear off. But that pain did not compare with how he felt about losing Jonah. And now he had to tell Emily. "Em, I'm sorry but-"

"He's dead, isn't he?" Emily guessed.

Jake only nodded and mentally braced himself for the emotional onslaught to come.

"God dammit, Jake! You said you were going to try make sure no one got hurt!" Emily raged at him, her hands curling into fists and her eyes blazing with familiar anger.

"I did, but-" Jake hated being on the receiving end of her anger. Last year, he had put a lot on the line trying to save Jonah from being lynched for killing Gracie Leigh. Now, it seemed futile, he hadn't been able to save Jonah from himself.

"That's what the stun grenades were for and-" Emily yelled.

"Em, he wasn't going to go quietly!" He quickly interrupted. "Trace Winters nearly killed two soldiers by tossing grenades at us. And they nearly killed more soldiers by blowing up his basement and shooting back at the soldiers." He didn't mention that he had been with them at the time.

"What did you expect him to do?" Emily argued, probably knowing it was a weak argument.

"They were given the chance to surrender." Jake threw back. "Several times!"

Emily started to stay something then stopped herself. She paused as his words began to sink in. Emily had a fault of often underestimating how bad others could be, including her father. That was why Emily had put up with Jake for so long when he was downsliding so bad, not that Emily had ever been an angel either. It was usually Emily that was looking to get into trouble when they were teenagers, daring them to drink, smoke. shoplift or sneak into places they shouldn't have. Back then, he had found it fun and exciting, chasing the thrill and high that being bad and not getting caught had brought. It had led into his gradual decline into crime working for her father. Now, as an adult, Jake now saw it as immature and sometimes dangerous, if not foolish. Maybe he was just getting old and becoming more like his own father as Heather liked to tease him about. Or maybe Heather was teaching him that there was more fun to be had doing other things like helping others and saving Jericho and his country. Just being with Heather was exciting enough without the worries of the what he and Hawkins were up to. And stopping Jonah had been part of that. After today, he had had his share of excitement and horror all mixed in one, but somehow, he knew that this was just the beginning.

"And they all know, don't they? Heather, your mother, Eric? And all the firemen and anyone else helping you? It's going to be all over town again, just like before."

Jake remembered how hard it had been with everyone whispering about her mother after she died. He let his silence answer for him.

"So what happened?" Emily finally asked, her voice quiet and nearly hoarse. Tears were in her eyes and it made his heart ache.

And he told her, editing his story to leave out the drug paraphernalia and women they had found. She would hear about that eventually, he was sure. Gossip traveled fast in Jericho. He described how Jonah had been shot while firing at the soldiers and trying to escape with Trace Winters and had refused to surrender, shooting Jake when he tried to stop Jonah from shooting that soldier, and that Jonah was probably going to die anyway and wanted to die instead of going to prison.

"So you just let him bleed to death?" Emily accused, looking horrified.

Jake shook his head, eyes closing, dreading the memory he would never forget, the haunted look in Jonah's eyes, the look of someone giving up. He didn't want to have to tell her this part, but the soldiers would talk and she would hear it. It would be better for her to know now, coming from him. "He had a grenade. They let him use it."

"God!" Emily bit her lip and turned away but not before Jake saw the flash of horror in her blue eyes. It broke his heart.

He could see her shaking with silent sobs and longed to be able to get up and hold her, but when he tried to sit up, his entire chest felt as if on fire and refused to cooperate and he laid back again, closing his eyes. But she needed to know what happened and why. "He was going to die anyway and he didn't want to go to the prison camps."

"He really hated prison." Emily said, crying. Jake knew Jonah had done several years of hard time while Jake was gone. Jonah has messed up on a a few jobs not long after Chris had been killed and had finally gotten arrested and sentenced to prison. "He used to send me cards and write me letters, trying to tell me how sorry he was for everything, wanting me to come visit him, but I never did. I didn't want people to remember. I didn't want to remember."

Jake wasn't sure what to say, so he said nothing. Emily was staring blindly out the window. It was overcast still outside, dark and dreary like his mood. He could feel the tension in the room, dark and quiet, yet definitely present.

"And then when he came out, he came and tried to talk to me, trying to apologize in person, bringing me presents. God only knows where he got the money for them. But I refused to talk to him, kept pushing him away." Emily continued. "Maybe it was my fault, I could have reached out to him, brought him back, stopped him from keeping doing what he was doing. But I kept pushing him away."

"Em, it's not your fault." Jake told her, remembering how Emily use to feel responsible for Chris and what had happened to her mother.

Emily turned back toward him. He could see the tears running down her cheeks. Her blue eyes were filled with grief; eyes just like her father's. "But you were gone, everyone was gone. Mom, Chris and all I had left was him. And then Roger came along and was there for me when I really needed someone. He was warm and wonderful and the only light in my life for a long time."

Jake wasn't sure he wanted to hear this nor dredge up the past again. His emotions were a mess already, already spent from dealing with Jonah and being shot and the worried look on Heather's and his mother's faces But he needed to be strong for Emily. He had promised Jonah he would take care of her. If only it was going to be as easy as it sounded. Emily had always been strong-willed with a mind of her own, but definitely emotional and he hadn't always been able to deal with that. That was one reason he had run away, afraid to have to face her after what had happened with Chris. He covered his confusion by reaching for the oxygen mask again, breathing deeply. The cleaner oxygen soothed his bruised lungs. If only it could also help his bruised heart. He felt his own tears returning remembering the look of sullen resignation on Jonah's face.

"He said to tell you how much he loved you and how sorry he was for everything." Jake spoke quietly then closed his eyes as he rested his head back again the bed.

Emily was quiet for a long moment as she turned to stare out the window again. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and from the side, he could see that she was deep in thought. After a long minute where Jake tried to think of something to say, comforting words, encouragement, anything but the words were eluding him, she finally turned back toward him. 

"You know, just forget about it, about all of this. Every single man in my life always screws up. I'm sick and tired of it! Chris, my father, you, Roger. Tired of you, tired of them all! It's about time I stood on my own." Emily decreed. She had stopped crying, though her eyes were rimmed with red. "So when things don't work out with Heather, don't expect me to take you back this time."

Jake winced. Heather had been an avoided topic between them for some time. Emily asked how Heather was doing but anymore than that, Jake refused to talk about her or their relationship. It was too personal and too amazing for him to put into words, especially with Emily. He got the feeling that Emily was jealous and worried about him as well as worried about Heather ending up hurt, but still felt that it was just an infatuation for him and for Heather and that they would eventually get tired of each other. He longed to tell her that it felt different this time, that he had never felt this way about someone before, but knowing Emily, she would just nod knowingly and not believe him. But Emily's words caught up with him. If Emily was tired of the work she was doing...

"You mean you're not going to help us with-" Jake thought the worst. Both he and Robert Hawkins still needed Emily to make this work, especially if she could get a job working in Cheyenne. She was their eyes and ears at the outpost and their best source of information with Major Williams. He knew that the relationship between Major Williams and Emily had stepped up a notch since the officer got promoted. The officer had come to Jericho several times in the past couple of weeks and Jake knew that wasn't just on business. He had been spending considerable time with Emily. And Emily seemed to have been appreciating the attention as well as the presents the officer brought her, including jewelry, rare food supplies and other luxuries they hadn't seen in Jericho for months, including a working stereo and DVD player as well as a working laptop that allowed Emily to type up notes and reports for the outpost.

"Oh no, I'll help you because I said I would. And because I want to see those responsible for what happened burn in hell. I see what they are doing and it doesn't sound like any government or military that I want to be a part of. I want our old country back. I want to be able to go shopping again and travel and take classes and teach my students without having to worry if one is going to die from malnutrition or the flu. I know you're not telling me everything, but I want this as bad as you do. For my father, for your father, and for all those who died and are suffering."

Emily's eyes were blazing with a conviction he had never seen before. Emily had had her pet causes in the past like not eating tuna to save the dolphins and promoting recycling long before it became popular. But this was the grownup world and a very much changed one at that. Emily had definitely grown up during his five years away. Then again, so had he, but it was good to see a different side of Emily for once. It was enough to lift his desolate spirit, knowing and feeling that he wasn't alone in this mission, especially with Heather beside him, but also seeing Emily's passion for what they were doing at last.

"And I'm holding you responsible for making this happen, Jake." Emily stated. "And I want to be a bigger part of it. I want to meet with Robert Hawkins and let him hear my ideas. No more of this running in between. I want to see if he's worth all this trust you are putting in him."

Jake inwardly groaned at that. He had wanted to limit Emily's role in all this, even objecting to her going up to Cheyenne to work, but Rob had said it would be extremely useful to get someone involved in the Cheyenne government and so far, Emily was their best bet. Jake hadn't liked the idea but had been cautiously supporting it thus far, but he wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't happen. Thus, he had been playing Emily and Rob off each other to minimize Emily's role, but obviously, Emily had caught on more than he realized. How could he protect her when she wasn't here? Now, more than ever, he needed to take care of her. He had promised Jonah. He was going to have to push harder to see if Colonel Hoffman could get him a job with the government instead. But he needed to placate Emily as well, something he had never been good at. He also longed for her forgiveness, the guilt still weighing him down as it had for the past six years. 

"So will you forgive me for going after your father?" He asked, hopeful.

Emily vehemently shook her head. "No, you won't get off that easy. You didn't have to do this this way. Maybe he wouldn't have died if you hadn't. You wouldn't let me talk to him first and now I'll never have that chance."

Emily had just wanted to talk to Jonah one last time to try and convince him to turn himself in but Jake had refused to let Emily get involved, not wanting to tip Jonah off that they were coming for him. He understand how painful that must be for her, he himself wishing he could have had one last moment with his own father. So many things remained unspoken between him and his father and now, forever would. He realized his foolishness now in asking that of Emily, his mouth and heart speaking before common sense and his brain had engaged, not for the first time. Was he so eager for her forgiveness that he had forgotten to consider Emily's feelings in the matter?

Emily continued, eyes blazing. "But no, you wanted to go in there with guns blazing trying to prove yourself. And because of it, he's dead now. And for that, I don't think I can forgive you anymore than I can forgive you for Chris."

With that, Emily turned and stormed out the door.

Jake was back to square one with Emily again, just when he thought he was making progress toward earning her forgiveness.

* * *

Heather was carrying a load of laundry up from the basement when there was a soft knock on the front door. Gail had gone to a workshop at church where she hoped to bend the ears of those there to encourage them to vote for the charter tomorrow. Jake was upstairs resting, though he periodically called downstairs for everything from a glass of water, ice packs, something to eat, reports on the charter, pen and paper or books. Heather quickly discovered that Jake was a terrible patient. Twice, she had had to raise her voice with him to get back in bed. He was in a good deal of pain from the bruised ribs. At least he was exhausted after being unable to sleep due to the pain and anxiety for most of the night. Yesterday, they had driven Jake home from the clinic using one of the spare trucks they kept for emergencies about town and had deposited Jake on the couch where he spent the rest of the day. They had agreed that if Jake stayed in bed today, they would all watch movies tonight. They all needed a distraction.

The rest of Sunday had been spent with Jake on the couch with ice packs on his ribs, working off and on writing up his report on what had happened at Jonah's compound. Several people had come yesterday asking if the rumor was true that Jonah Prowse was dead. Gail had turned them away, saying there would be an official announcement made by Mayor Anderson. Heather had admired her fortitude in dealing with the curious and inquiring minds. Eric and Mary had both visited several times in between trips out to talk to people about the town charter and only had said that gossip was running wild about what had happened at the compound. As for the charter, it was still hard to tell how people were going to vote. There were packs of people trying to convince others to their points of view and everyone seemed to have an opinion about the pros and cons of the charter.

Still, Heather had had to turn several visitors away today who came wanting to talk to Jake. He needed his rest though he hadn't been able to sleep well. The only person she had let in to see him was Lt. Robbins who wanted to have a debriefing with Jake, go over his report and give him an update on the results of what had happened at Jonah's. Jake had been pretty upset after that, enough that Heather even left him alone. Jake had once again requested to have the Jericho men from the raid returned, but the government refused. Jake had yet to talk to her much more about what had happened at the compound yesterday, but she had a feeling she would get it out of him eventually.

Heather was tempted to not even answer the door. It was almost five o'clock and she needed to start something for dinner. Maybe whoever was there would go away and get the hint that either they weren't home or didn't want to be disturbed. Having too much integrity and curiosity for that, she peaked through the window in the door and looked out. It was Emily. Reluctantly, she opened the door.

"Hi, Em!" Heather said, trying to be cheery. Then she belatedly remembered what had happened yesterday and nearly kicked herself. The solemn look on Emily's face reminded her. Jonah Prowse, Emily's father, had killed himself yesterday. All Jake had told her was that Emily hadn't taken the news well, something both she and Gail had guessed from the arguing they had overheard at the med center. Jake felt even more guilty and responsible for what had happened, knowing how it had hurt Emily. Jake had been in a foul mood all day yesterday despite Heather and Gail's efforts to distract him. It had been a quiet day for the rest of the day Sunday and today, with the pain and discomfort, Jake wasn't in much better of a mood. Heather hadn't known Jonah Prowse except from what Jake and Emily and others about town told her, but she knew that the man's death was hitting Jake hard. She could only imagine what it was like for Emily, having been estranged from her father for some time.

"Hey," Emily gave her a weak smile.

"Come on in," Heather stepped out of the doorway. There was only a handful of people she would have let in today and Emily was one of them, especially after yesterday. She hoped that maybe she just needed to talk to her and didn't need to see Jake. She hadn't heard Jake call for her for over an hour and was hoping Jake had finally fallen asleep. She noticed that Emily was dressed in a casual dress again and wore comfortable shoes made for walking. She held a manila folder in her hand. "Did you work today?"

"Yeah." Emily walked into the foyer and paused, glancing around at the Green house as Heather shut the door. Emily had rarely been in the house for the past several months, but Heather was pretty sure nothing much had changed. It reminded Heather that she had only been staying at the Green house for a few months. "I need to talk to Jake."

That surprised her, as Jake had said Emily probably wouldn't be wanting to see him for some time after the way she had blazed out of the med center yesterday. Something must have come up. Heather looked at Emily carefully, seeing the weariness in Emily's features, the tautness of her mouth as Emily gave her a piercing look. Emily didn't want to be here either. Something must have come up. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just need to talk to him." Emily quickly replied, staring at her with a look that meant business.

"I think he's sleeping. I'll go up and check." Heather stated as she started turning toward the stairs. 

"This is important." Emily said curtly. "I'd rather talk to him myself."

Heather paused, pondering if she should make an issue or not. After Emily and Jake's loud argument yesterday, she wasn't sure it would be a good idea to upset Jake any more. She noticed that manila folder Emily was holding. "If you have something to give him, I'll be sure he gets-"

"Please?" Emily pleaded, giving her a pointed glance and looking impatient. 

"Uh, okay. Just please, don't get him too upset. Doctor Kenshy said for him to take it easy." Heather advised. She still didn't feel right in turning Emily away, but yet she worried for Jake as well. 

"Thanks." Emily hastily moved passed her on the stairs, going directly toward Jake's room. Of course Emily knew the way.

Heather noticed that Emily didn't even bother to knock. Sighing to herself, Heather went to begin folding the laundry. Good little domestic Heather, she muttered to herself and started to think of what she should make for dinner, needing a distraction from thinking about Jake and Emily. 

Several times during the next hour, Heather thought she heard voices being raised upstairs and some yelling back and forth between Jake and Emily. She considered going upstairs to intervene, not wanting to get Jake too worked up while he was injured, but then things would quiet down again. 

By the time that Emily came back downstairs. Heather had finished with the laundry, washed the two bushels of cherries Gail had been planning to can this week and had started dinner. She had hated staying home from the plant today especially when they were so close to completing their first wind turbine, but Jake had needed someone to look after him while Gail did her own last minute campaigning among the older women of Jericho. 

Emily carried the tray from Jake's lunch into the kitchen and set it noisily on the counter next to Heather as she worked cutting up the broccoli and peppers for their dinner that night. They were still getting early vegetables from the green houses but hoped to have fresh vegetables like green beans and tomatoes soon. They did have chicken for dinner tonight, the second batch of chickens from the egg farm had arrived at the ration center this week. She had started baking it nearly an hour ago.

"Jake wants to know when you're gonna let him out of his prison," Emily spoke, her tone indeterminate.

"Mr. Grumpy is stuck until Master Warden Mom gets home at least," Heather replied, smiling over her shoulder at Emily. Emily didn't smile back. Emily's eyes were rimmed with red as if she had been crying and her posture hinted at hidden tension. She wondered what she had been arguing with Jake about. "Em, how are you doing? I would have thought you would have taken today off, with what happened."

"Nah, I'm fine." Emily turned and leaned her back against the counter next to Heather. But she didn't look or sound fine to Heather.

"Are you really? He was your father." Heather set down her knife on the cutting board and wiped her hands off on a towel. Emily looked like she needed someone to talk to. They hadn't talked in ages and they used to all the time. She had missed their friendship.

"Some father." Emily shook her head.

"Are you going to have a funeral?" Heather asked.

Emily leaned over and took a slice of pepper. "Uh, no. There wasn't enough left of him to put in a shoebox, let alone a coffin. He doesn't deserve a funeral anyway, not after all he did." Emily started chewing on the pepper.

"Everyone deserves a funeral." Heather began but had a feeling it was falling on deaf ears. Jake had only said that Jonah had blown himself up with a grenade. Heather shuddered at the imagery of what that must have felt and looked like. No one deserved to die like that, not even self-inflicted. Heather laid a hand on Emily's arm. "Em, if you need to talk, I'm always here."

"Here, in the Green house? Like how you talked with me when you picked up with Jake when you knew that we were getting back together?" Emily chided.

Heather jerked back with alarm, pulling her hand away as if burned. She had known things were distant between her and Emily and had been since she and Jake had gotten together, but this was the first time Emily had said anything directly about it. Anger filled her, something that was rare for Heather. She fired back. "I seem to recall that you said it was okay if I was interested in Jake. You do remember that conversation?"

It had been on the street last October when Emily had warned her to be careful around Jake. Knowing what she did about Jake now, she could understand why. Jake had been a troublemaker and unreliable, especially with Emily. But Jake had changed andHeather had changed as well. She was no longer an infatuated girl fawning over a cute guy. Her time in New Bern and her past months with Jake and working together to improve things and get the wind turbine plant up and running had changed her, making her realize that there was more important things going on in their world than soap opera drama, something she didn't wish to get involved in with Emily, especially right now. She had found an equal partner with Jake working and being together and was hoping he felt the same way about her. But still, she had her own doubts and worries when it came to Jake, especially since he wouldn't tell her what he was up to, especially when she considered how worked up Emily made Jake, and considering the many years the two had had together.

But then there was the conversation she had had with Jake on the picnic the day of her birthday. Jake had been so adorable that day, but she did remember the surprised look on Jake's face when she had worried about his relationship with Emily after he had kissed her. His words came back to her, reinforcing her resolve. "Plus, Jake said you two weren't getting back together." 

Emily just raised a doubtful eyebrow at her and didn't say anything which only filled Heather with more doubt. Emily was good at silent communication, saying more with expressions than words. Heather debated pressing further, but she hated awkward situations. Emily was likely upset from the loss of her father and lashing out.

Heather added with a nervous rush. "Besides, you and Lt. Williams seem to be getting along rather well."

"Major Williams." Emily corrected her, then looked smug, folding her arms in front of her chest. "It's all just an act, something I'm doing for Jake."

Heather stared Emily, her jaw dropping and heart suddenly pounding in her ears. Now that was news. Heather remembered what she had overheard in the conversation with Jake and Lt. Williams the night of Stanley and Mimi's wedding, that the lieutenant was trying to get Emily a job with the Cheyenne government. It had surprised her to think that Emily had wanted to leave Jericho knowing how much Emily loved her hometown. "Then you aren't going to Cheyenne?"

Emily gave her a knowing smile. "Oh, I'm working on going to Cheyenne just like Jake is. That's all part of the plan."

"Plan? What plan?" Heather asked. She realized that maybe she wasn't supposed to know about Emily going to Cheyenne since she had secretly overheard it. Jake hadn't said anything about it to her, but she couldn't resist digging back at Emily, even slightly. But now Emily had just one-upped her with this talking about a plan Jake was working on trying to go to Cheyenne too? She decided to gamble, however. "The one with Robert Hawkins?"

"Yeah. He hasn't told you about what we're up to?" Emily asked, looking surprised.

For a split second, she debated continuing to play along like she knew what they were up to, but she had never been good at play acting.

Heather shook her head. 

So Emily was in with what Jake was doing? And it did involve Robert Hawkins as she suspected. What were they up to? Her heart sank to think that this was one more thing that Jake had been keeping from her, worse that it involved Emily now, too. She wondered how long this had been going on without her knowing anything about it. When had it started? Before or after that picnic where Jake had asked to start a relationship with her? And did Gail or Eric know anything more? Heather's thoughts raced at the possibilities. For a long moment that she barely recognized that Emily was speaking again.

"Then I guess I shouldn't have told you that. Just forget about it. Look, just keep playing house here with Jake and I'm sure things will be fine." Emily said, nodding at the preparations for dinner that were all over the counter. Heather cringed. She wasn't exactly a neat person, especially in the kitchen. From the time she had spent at Emily's house, she knew Emily was a neat freak. "Some of us are up to more important things."

Unsure how to reply, Heather covered her confusion by turning around to check on the chicken baking in the oven using the meat thermometer. She struggled to think of what could be more important than helping Jericho. They were about a week away from producing their first wind turbine off their assembly line. With their first several turbines, the rest of Jericho would have stable power again as well as some of the outlying homes. While waiting to finish their assembly lines and produce enough metal parts out from their coal furnace, they had finished several of their first windmill generators and were preparing to install them out on several farms by the end of the week. Jake had been just as excited as she was at the prospect of bringing power out to the farms and more of Jericho, often telling her how important it was. There had also been more workshops on making soap and paper products from recycled paper and fabric and other experiments Heather had been working on. Had she been too caught up in her own world that she hadn't been paying much attention to other things going on? All of them had been busy helping with the charter that Heather had been reluctant to worry Jake with her questions. Should she have pressed Jake more? Secrets could be dangerous to any relationship.

She had kept trying to dismiss what Jake was up to, wanting to trust him to be doing the right things as they often talked about, but why couldn't he share them with her? Jake had been so busy planning this raid against Jonah for the past week and with the charter, she hadn't wanted to bother him with her questions about what he was up to again. But he must be sharing what he was up to with Emily; Emily, who he had known since middle school and had been together with for nearly as long... until five years ago. Jake hadn't even been planning on staying in Jericho when he came back, so had it really been over with Emily years ago as he had said to Lt. Williams or was he just biding his time until Emily was free again? Was that just part of their plan? Or was Jake just working on getting out of Jericho again? Maybe that was why he had been so chummy with the military despite his concerns. Maybe he was planning on picking up with Emily again after they left Jericho. Jake was working on the charter to make sure Jericho was safe for everyone again, his mother and Eric, but what if it was because he was leaving again? Maybe Heather was just a stepping stone, a short amusement before he left again. She had heard enough stories about Jake to know that he was a restless soul, never quite settling down, always needing to be doing something though that had often been no-good in the past. Jake was unreliable, that was what everyone had said, often getting involved in things and not following through. Was Heather and his family not enough to keep him here? With Jonah gone and the charter about to be voted on, would Jake get bored again without some action to keep him occupied? They had talked about their dreams on occasion, but Jake's often tended to be grandiose about starting a flight school or similar business or helping the government, both that could be done without staying in Jericho. 

After Heather closed the oven door and looked up, she saw Emily studying her closely, no doubt trying to guess her reaction. She considered fighting back against Emily, unsure how to deal with Emily's behavior. Obviously, her father's death was affecting her more than she was letting on. Instead, she decided to stick with the 'be nice' tactic and ignore it. At least she could have more tact. Her father had taught her that sometimes it was best to deal with anger by redirecting it.

"Em, if you don't feel comfortable talking with me, then at least talk to someone if you're upset. I'm sure Reverend Thomas would be glad to-" She knew Emily was worried about her reputation in town and probably would feel uncomfortable at the weekly grief counseling sessions they had at the church.

"I'm fine." Emily reiterated.

"Maybe you should come out to Stanley's to help out on the farm. Sometimes a little hard work can help you through the tough times." Heather had come by Emily's several times in the past months to see if she wanted to come and help at the Richmond's. Even with Jake, Eric and Mary helping at the farm, they still needed more help on the farm and were hoping they could get more with the charter if it passed. Most of the time, Emily hadn't been home or had said she was busy after giving Heather the cold shoulder treatment. Heather absently rubbed her fingers together, feeling the roughness that had been building there from all the manual labor she had been doing in the past months. She found it hard to think of Emily getting her hands dirty and calloused with hard work, but maybe some good hard work would do her good. She heard that Emily was at Baileys many nights or involved in an invite-only book reading club and other social functions with some of the other well-off women in town who deigned to get involved with the hard work as well. Maybe the town charter, if it passed, would get them doing some more useful things.

Then Emily stood up straighter and looked at Heather, looking aghast as if suddenly realizing how much of a bitch she was being. "God, I'm sorry, Heather. I've been such a mess since yesterday. I know you're just trying to help, but I'm not sure I'm ready for it, not yet, not now. Not with everyone talking about it, asking me questions and acting like I'm somehow tied to everything he did."

"Well, Mary doesn't have any more bottles of scotch, I'm afraid." Heather replied, trying to lighten the mood, though she was still shaking inside from anger and anxiety. Emily did give a slight smile at that, probably remembering the day Heather had tried to keep Emily occupied the day it had supposed to have been her wedding.

"It's just been harder than I realized it would be, seeing you with Jake, after all we had together..." Emily's voice trailed off and Heather could see the regret in her old friend's eyes. "I guess I always kept thinking he was going to come back and we'd fix things again. Then a year passed, then another and he didn't. Then I met Roger and realized it was time to move on with my life, I couldn't keep waiting."

When Heather had met Emily, she had already been dating Roger, not long after Heather had started working in Jericho as a teacher. Emily had been glad to have someone closer to her own age and single around as a friend and Heather had been glad to have someone to teach her the politics of the local school system. But Emily had never mentioned Jake before, though Heather had heard that Mayor Green had two sons and one had left town a few years ago after some scandal that no one really talked aboutJake . She hadn't even known who Jake really was until the day of the bombs, after they met on the bus, when she saw Mayor Green talking to Jake and Gail Green in the ambulance near hers.

"And then Jake came back." Heather continued for Emily. "The day of the bombs."

Emily nodded. "He came back a different person, though I wasn't sure at first. Then Roger was gone. He came back a different person and left for good again."

And then Heather had come back, alive and well, and then Jake and Heather were together, though Heather still had her doubts. Emily and Jake had quite the history. How was she to ignore that, especially when she had Jake had only been serious for just three months?

"I guess I just expected things to pick up where we left off again, you know, old flames, high school sweethearts." Emily sighed.

"But it didn't." And I got in the way, Heather thought to herself. What would Jake have done if she had never come back from New Bern? Or worse, if she had died. Jake had been interested before they left, she now knew, but had been afraid of her because of his past. He still occasionally worried about his past and that he wasn't good enough for Heather. That had been what he told her several times when he told her how happy he was with her. She shuddered to think of Jake back together with Emily, but if it had made him happy... though the thought of them together made her chest ache. If Heather had never come back, would Emily and Jake been able to put things to rights between them? The way the two of them sparred it was obvious there was still chemistry there. Emily still had feelings for Jake despite warning Heather about Jake in the past. But how did Jake still feel? That was the unanswered question. Was he just biding his time while Emily was romancing with Major Williams? How could Emily behave like that with a person? Didn't that only happen in television? And even better yet, why? What were Emily and Jake up to? 

Then Emily changed the subject. "You lost both your parents, right?" 

Heather nodded. She had told that to Emily long ago and was touched that she did remember. Her parents had died to normal natural causes. Many people had lost family, friends and loved ones in the past months or at least, didn't even know their status. Heather wasn't even sure if her own brother was still alive. They did have a list of missing people for the government to contact, but they hadn't heard any news yet.

She knew that Emily had compiled a list of lost family members and friends and kept it updated for Colonel Hoffman and their military liaison, but there had been little to no feedback on the status of contact with other cities though Cheyenne was supposed to be building a census database of refugees and other survivors and their locations, including those abroad and serving in the military. Jake had said they were trying to develop a system for establishing contact between towns and people, perhaps getting the postal service working again. But all these things took time and people had nearly given up hope of being able to find out what happened with their loved ones. They did have grief counseling sessions at the church to help people get through the past months of realizing that their loved ones elsewhere in the country were probably gone. Heather had gone to several of the sessions, offering support and sharing stories with the others, which helped get through the tough times. 

"It just feels so weird, being totally alone again. And with the world the way it is, I don't know what's going to happen next."

"I know." Heather nodded.

They were common feelings many shared in the counseling sessions. They tried to encourage people through prayer and suggestions to remain positive and keep focusing on getting through the tough times. There was so much work to be done and it was easy to be discouraged. It was worse for the young and single people or those who lost loved ones. There had been a number of suicides and suicide attempts. It was why they were all trying to reach out and keep the community strong and looking out for each other.

"So many people dying, I don't know sometimes why we keep fighting." Emily replied, shaking her head. She looked on the verge of crying.

The impact of the past nine months hit Heather again. So many people had died, not just in the bombs, but the aftermath as they all struggled to survive. Many had died due to lack of proper medical care, some due to the cold winter, some due to crime, and surely even more from complications of illnesses and other problems due to the lack of food. Heather had seen and heard of people she had known growing up in New Bern who had died or gone missing. Her friend Susie and her husband had died trying to get her to the military. Mr. Renny, Gracie Leigh, April and Johnston Green. And now Jonah. Death had always seem so distant to Heather, despite losing both her parents and her grandparents. Natural causes were one thing. But America was the land of opportunity and prosperity. Now it felt like they had gone back a hundred years and their world had become far less civilized, especially when they couldn't even trust their own government any more.

"How do you go on? When everything is such a mess? Go on without the ones we loved?" Emily asked.

"Well," Heather began. "We do what they would have wanted for us to do, to live o doing our best to survive and do the things that make us happy. It takes time and our present troubles won't last forever." Heather replied honestly. It was advice she had often heard her own father give to those grieving, words she had also shared with Gail Green in the times she was able to get the older woman to talk about Johnston's death. She had also encouraged Gail and others to stay involved in helping Jericho. At least it was productive work, even it didn't exactly make you happy, it was helping others and the community. "And sometimes helping others really does help."

"That is a thought." Emily look away, lost in thought. A few seconds later, she stood up straighter as if a thought had just occurred to her. "You know, you're right. I do need to help out more. Do you know if they found places to stay for all those women from my dad's compound yet?"

Heather raised an eyebrow at that. So Emily had found out about the women, though it had been hard to miss them yesterday at the med center. They had been used for prostitution, as rewards to Jonah's men, and occasionally sold and traded as sex slaves. She had overheard Jake and Eric talking about them this morning. A few of them were going to need serious counseling. "They are still staying at the church for now until we can find them somewhere more permanent."

All new refugees often stayed at the church short term until they could be placed in a home in town. Gail was supposed to be checking into finding places for the six women recovered from Jonah's compound, though it might be difficult as the rumor of what they were doing at the compound spread. One of the women was still at the med center for smoke inhalation and minor burns. Jake had tried to get the military to see about getting the women back home, but that was going to take time. Not many refugees had been able to make it home, though many had migrated to Cheyenne with the promise of better food, power and jobs. Jake had seemed more eager to keep the women in Jericho, knowing they needed the hands on the farms and helping the various businesses about town. 

"I have that big house and two guest bedrooms. I'll be glad to put a couple of them up." Emily offered.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Heather asked, rather surprised. After months of living alone in her big house in the Pines, Emily was finally opening it up to guests? And these guests, after all the refugees they had seen come through Jericho?. "Wouldn't that be awkward... after what your dad did to them?"

Emily shrugged. "Maybe, but it's the least I can do, and I can show that I'm not like him and maybe help repair some of the damage he caused."

Heather sighed, wondering if this was another of Emily's hare-brained schemes. She had known Emily long enough to know that once she got a notion in her mind of what she wanted to do, it was hard to convince her otherwise.

"Just let Gail know I'll be willing to put a couple of them up. Two, maybe three if one doesn't mind a sleeper sofa."

Emily had two guest bedrooms, Heather knew, having stayed in one of them on occasion when they had had late nights or she was house sitting for Emily. 

"Okay, if you're sure." Heather replied, trying to keep the doubt from her voice.

"Yeah, I am." Emily glanced down at her watch. "I gotta go." 

Emily started heading out of the kitchen then stopped, turning around to look at Heather. "And Heather, don't worry about Jake. I know he's trying to cover for you, but knowing him, he has good reason. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I know we can't trust this government and that's part of it. He really does care for you." Emily told her and Heather saw the honesty in her eyes. "I'm just taking this hard, you know. He just has always come back to me in the past. I guess I just expected it again."

But instead of being relieved by Emily's words, it only worried her more. Jake and Emily were involved with something with Robert Hawkins and she still had no idea what it was. Why couldn't Jake trust her enough to tell her? 

Heather stared after her as Emily left the room. She heard the front door closing before she realized that she hadn't invited Emily to dinner, not that she was sure that she had wanted to. But Gail would expect the invitation anyway once she learned Emily had been here.

Frustrated, Heather bit back tears and finished cutting up the vegetables and put them in the skillet with the rest of the stir fry she was making for dinner. She reflected back on their conversation and Emily's anger at her. She reminded herself that Emily was likely upset from Jonah being killed and was striking out at anyone because of her pain. Though she knew Emily and Jonah hadn't even been talking, they were still family. Family ties, however fragile, were hard to ignore. The news that Emily was working with Jake and Robert Hawkins hit her hard. And the back-handed way Emily had come around had only increased her anxiety regarding her own relationship with Jake. Jake had always come back to Emily?

She tried to not let it bother her, chalking it up to Emily's grief, or even jealousy as Mimi had said. But the tendrils of doubt were still there, and unfortunately, would always be as long as Jake kept her out. Emily was involved with what Jake was up to. So why couldn't he tell her?

Wiping her hands, she decided to go and check on Jake since she had yet to hear anything from upstairs. She grabbed a glass of water, knowing he had been pretty thirsty all day. She only hoped that he still wasn't in a bad mood, especially after Emily's visit, though she knew he was trying to keep it in check around her. His face always lit up when she came into his room and he always had a smile for her. She hoped he would have the same for her now. Maybe then she could find the courage to ask him about what Emily had wanted and about what he was working on with Robert Hawkins.

Heather knocked softly on Jake's door and when he didn't answer, she opened the door to discovered that Jake had finally fallen asleep. The windows were still open in the room, letting in the late summer afternoon sun and air. She had been in Jake's room many times, usually informally, but probably more often today. They typically reserved their romantic make-out sessions to the couch or picnic blanket, not wanting to give in to the temptation that a bedroom would present. Jake had been in her room many times, often kissing her good night. Staying in the same house at this stage in their relationship was a bit odd, but it made it seem more like they were living together. Like Eric's old room, Gail had redecorated Jake's bedroom, but it contained more of Jake's things, his baseball trophies, his diplomas including his certificate from Embry-Riddle. There were school pictures and family pictures, including one of Jake, his father and grandfather fishing together. On the wall was a fading pennant from the Kansas City Royals and a few other baseball memorabilia. It was definitely a guy's room with lingering decorations from boyhood.

She tried to not think about the fact that Emily had been up here with Jake for over an hour . Instead, she focused on Jake, feeling the closeness they shared in her own reaction to seeing and being near him. Jake's back was against the pillows, his chest bare except for the bandages. How he could sleep so shortly after arguing with Emily, she wasn't sure, but she knew he had that knack for being able to fall asleep quickly, as he often did on their picnics or on the couch as they watched movies or read together. She knew he was exhausted and having trouble sleeping, so she was glad to see him finally able to rest. She lost all thought of confronting him as she stared at him sleeping, smiling to herself at the sight.

One arm was over his head and his eyes were closed. A couple days growth of beard was on his chin and above his upper lip. He looked adorable, sexy and years younger while he slept. She was reminded of everything she and Jake had gone through in recent months, much of it together. Her return to Jericho, her interview, the picnic where Jake had expressed his interest in her, working side by side on various projects for Jericho, working on the drafts of the charter with Eric and Mary and out on the farm with Stanley and Mimi, Jake walking her to the plant and back each day. 

She had almost lost him yesterday. A chill went through her as she realized how fast and hard she had fallen in love with him, though she still wasn't sure how Jake felt in return. She thought he was feeling the same way, though he had yet to say the magic L word yet. Stanley and Mimi had said they loved each other after only knowing each other for just over a month. She and Jake had been together for nearly three months now. He called her baby often, and told her how beautiful and adorable she was, and sexy when things got hot and heavy between them. But Jake had a lot going on and even more baggage from his past. Maybe she was expecting too much too soon to think that they could tell each other how they really felt. Until then, she would have to rely on the look in his eyes when they met hers across the dinner table, the long hours spent talking, the passionate kisses, the casual touches, the whispers together on the couch when they tried to not let his mother overhear them.

Jake was a deeper sleeper than she was as he hadn't heard her enter the room. She carried the glass of water to his bedside and set it on the nightstand within reach, intending to leave quietly and let him sleep. But her eyes stopped on the manila folder lying on the bed next to Jake, the one Emily had brought with her.

For a minute, she deliberated looking at it. It was Jake's personal business, right? But Emily had brought it. It was possible it was from the military. Or it could be a clue to what Jake was really up to, or whatever plan they were conspiring on together. Or it could be something personal between Jake and Emily. Double-checking to make sure Jake was still asleep, Heather gave into temptation and picked up the folder, opening it.

Inside were several pieces of paper. The top paper looked like a letter of commendation addressed to Jake thanking him for his work and efforts assisting the military and helping root out the criminal gangs in the area around Jericho. It looked official with a seal that vaguely resembled the old presidential seal, but this one was different. It was signed in blue ink by President Tomarchio. Heather smiled, inwardly proud knowing that Jake deserved it for all the work he had done. Getting rid of the gangs had made Jericho and the surrounding areas much safer and many people had noticed it but had not known Jake was involved until word got out yesterday that he had gotten shot helping stop Jonah. 

But underneath the letter were more papers. They looked like computer print outs and one looked like a photocopy of a formal letter, slightly off-center as if it had been made in a hurry or on an old copier. The printouts listed names and addresses in Jericho along with service dates. They were military veterans, Heather realized as she scanned the names and recognized some of them. Branch of service, rank and service dates along with honors were listed. They also had a list of other names that looked like family names and ages. Heather guessed Emily had gotten this from the military outpost. But why would the military be interested in ex-military men of Jericho and their families? She glanced at the photocopied letter. It looked like some sort of formal orders addressed to Colonel Hoffman. It was ordering him to begin moving his brigade east and back to Fort Riley to prepare his troops for combat-readiness. Combat? Combat where? And why had Emily brought it to Jake? Was Emily spying on the military? Not paying attention, one of the pages nearly fell out of the folder and Heather accidentally kicked the mattress with her leg while trying to hold on to them.

Jake inhaled deeply, the usual precursor to waking up. Heather hastily closed the manila folder and placed it back on the bed next to Jake. She had time to grab the glass of water off the nightstand as Jake opened his eyes and stared sleepily up at her.

"Hey, handsome." Heather smiled down at him, a shock going through her as their eyes met.

"Now there's a sight to wake up to." Jake sleepily grinned up at her with hooded eyes. He stretched slightly then stopped, a shudder going through him as the movement caused him pain.

"Thirsty? Dinner will be ready in an hour if you're hungry." Heather tried to keep her voice normal, ignoring the anxiety she felt inside. Hopefully Jake wouldn't notice. She mentally told herself to relax.

"Only for you, baby." Jake ran his eyes down her figure and gave her a sexy, lopsided smile. She was dressed in shorts and a tank top and probably looked like she had been slaving in the house all day, which she had been. She couldn't even remember if she had brushed her hair since morning. She could never look as good as Emily did, even after a full day of work. But Jake's eyes were lit up with admiration as he gazed up at her. A shiver of awareness sizzled through her and she saw Jake wasn't unaffected as well as he took a deep breath and pulled the sheet a bit higher up his chest. Jake broke the spell by trying to sit up and groaned with pain. 

"Here." Heather climbed to kneel next to him on the bed, putting her arm behind him to help him sit up. His skin was warm and the feel of him did things to her, like made her want to touch him all over. Reminding herself that Jake was injured, she pulled the pillows up behind him to give him support. 

"Thanks," Jake took the water from her and drank it down, grimacing.

Heather used the moment as she did on each visit to check Jake for signs of infection. She felt his forehead and ran a hand down his chest and just under his bandage to feel for heat. Jake was warm but not overly so. His bruises looked all shades of yellow, red, black and blue. She used the excuse to stroke her hand over his chest, feeling the play of light muscles beneath her touch as Jake shuddered in reaction. She loved Jake without his shirt. At least now she could see him without it without stammering like a school girl with a crush. 

"You keep touching me like that and we'll be doing more than the doctor ordered in this bed." Jake chuckled handing the glass back to her.

Heather grinned back at him and as she set the empty glass on the nightstand, she felt Jake's hand on her thigh, stroking it softly right above the knee as she knelt next to him. All thoughts of what she wanted to ask him about fled her mind. His hand drifted up higher to the hem of her shorts, then underneath, his fingers stroking the soft skin of her inner thigh and getting a little closer to where it would definitely get her attention. She blushed at this amount of intimacy, which she was slowly getting more comfortable with, but wasn't sure this was the time to be stirring things up, as much as she desired it. She was supposed to ask Jake something, what was it again? Fortunately, in her line of sight was the manila folder that she deliberately made a point of making it look like she just noticed it. "What's this?"

"Emily brought it." Jake said, his voice sounding husky. His breathing was unsteady as his attention was fixed to where her tank top dipped a bit low across her bust.

"I know, but what's in it?" Heather asked again, wondering what Jake would tell her. She reached down to pick up the folder.

Jake sighed and removed his hand from her leg to grab the manila folder before she could pick it up. "Letter of commendation from the President."

"Really?" Heather looked at Jake, who look stuck between trying to look humble and beaming with pride. "That's awesome, can I see?"

Jake opened the folder and pulled out the letter she had just looked at. Heather pretended to read it carefully, this time noticing the detailed and formal speech. She began reading it aloud. "In recognition of your exemplary leadership and service in assisting the Federal Government of the Western States of New America, Johnston Jacob Green, Jr." Heather paused and glanced at Jake, noticing his discomfort. "That's you and not your dad, Junior."

"Give me that." Jake yanked the paper out of her hands and carefully returned it to the folder as he placed it on the other side of him. Jake reached his other arm up and around her waist, pulling her against him. She heard him groan with pain at the movement but it didn't stop him from holding her tight against him.

"Exemplary service, hmm?" She said as she stared at him.

"Yeah, wanna sample some of it?" Jake tilted his head down to kiss her, his lips hard and demanding against hers. His two day old beard tickled her face but she didn't mind. After Emily's behavior, it was good to feel and taste him. 

"I could have lost you yesterday," Heather whispered when they both finally came up for air. Her hand had come to rest over his bandage, knowing that bullet could have penetrated further and killed him.

"Quit looking at me like that. It'll break my heart." Jake replied, his voice soft and full of emotion. His breath was warm as it brushed over her lips, their mouths still inches from each other. His eyes were half-lidded as he gazed at her. "I know, I really was trying to be careful."

"Uh huh." Heather half-teased. She knew he was trying to be more careful, but Jake just seemed to gravitate toward danger.

"And I'm sorry if I've been a bear yesterday and today," Jake told her.

"No you haven't." 

"Liar." Jake kissed her again, tenderly, nibbling at her lips, one hand stroking down her bare shoulder. It was a sweet kiss that left her yearning for more, a painful longing to take their relationship to the next level. But now was not the time, not with Jake's injuries.

When they finally broke apart again, Heather threw all the emotion she could in her eyes and expression as she gazed up at him. Jake had helped take out of the many gangs in the area. And now he was trying to change all of Jericho for the better with his charter. He had been there for her during her interviews and throughout all her zany experiments. She had to be patient, she knew he had a good heart. She only hoped he would trust her more. As she cupped his chin with one hand, she said to him simply. "My hero."

Jake inhaled softly and gave her a look of appreciation and gratitude that she felt all the way down to her soul. She knew he didn't like being told he was a hero, especially after all the bad things he had done in the past, but for her, he was her hero in many ways. Maybe, just maybe she could get through to him and he would share what was in that folder with her. Maybe he would come clean and tell her what he was really up to on his trips and what he was doing with Emily and what Robert Hawkins had to do with it.

Heather rubbed her thumb across the stubble on his chin, feeling its coarseness tickling her skin. She nodded absently toward the folder. "Was that all that was in there?"

"Yeah," Jake lied to her as he closed his eyes to kiss her again.

The dishonesty hit her harder than a load of bricks.

"Heather?" She heard Gail calling her from downstairs. Jake's mother had finally arrived home, saving Heather from showing how much he had just hurt her.

(To be continued...) 


	29. Chapter 29

Full Circle, Chapter Twenty Nine 

They came into the house quietly. He should have heard them breaking through the front door, but he must have been sleeping deeply, or perhaps the pain of his injuries was getting to him, dulling his senses and reaction time. He was the man of the house now, the one in charge of listening for those creaks in the middle of the night, staying awake wondering if every door had been locked, and worrying about his mother and now Heather who needed him to protect them.

Quietly, the men in black carrying assault rifles fanned out inside the Green house, checking every room with military precision. A team ascended the stairs. Their leader silently flagged them with a hand wave giving the "go" signal.

The bedroom doors slammed opened simultaneously with echoing bangs.

The soldiers yelled fiercely and loudly as they blinded the rooms with bright flashlights. "Don't move! Hands up! Mother fuckers, move an iota and you're dead!" echoed from the hallway and in Jake's room.

Jake sat bolt up in bed reaching for his gun, suddenly awake. Terror resonated throughout his body. The bedding tightened around his legs, keeping him from slipping out of bed.

He couldn't move fast enough. His body was still stiff with pain, slowing his movement. Blinded by the bright lights, he couldn't see what to aim at. His gun was yanked forcefully from his hand. He heard it clatter as it skidded across the floor.

In the hallway, he heard the cries of his mother and Heather being dragged out of their beds and into the hallway. He had failed them, he hadn't been able to protect them.

Shock and terror gripped his body. Jake couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move, paralyzed by fear, pain and perhaps something else, he wasn't sure. All he knew was his body wasn't working.

A sinister voice called from the bedroom doorway. "Where's the package, Johnston Jacob Green?"

Johnston Green was his father. His father was dead. Wait, that was his name. No one ever called him that except his mother when she was mad.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Jake replied, his voice hoarse. He couldn't quite open his eyes, but wasn't sure if it was because he was so tired or because of the blinding searchlights.

The package. The nuclear bomb, now hidden just outside of Jericho. Only two people knew where it was at and only one that knew that he knew. Had someone seen them? Had they gotten to Robert Hawkins? Had the military finally figured out that he knew more than he was letting on? Panic hit his gut.

"Encourage him to talk." The voice ordered.

Jake saw sparks as a rifle butt cracked across his face. His head was wrenched to the side and his cheek felt like it had been broken. Blinding pain filled his head and his skull and jaw ached fiercely. But the pain was stronger in his chest. A tightening of his chest made it hard to breathe. Had he been shot? Memories of falling backward and down into the mud drifted across his mind, blue eyes full of surprise and horror meeting his.

"Just tell them, Jake." Another familiar voice said. This one he did recognize.

Jake looked up and saw Jonah being held between two of the soldiers, barely able to stand, his leg bandaged, blood, both new and dried, covering his leg.

"Jonah?" Jake asked, shocked. Jonah was dead, wasn't he?

"Tell them and protect my little girl. You gotta take care of her. You can't if you're dead." Jonah cried.

"Where's the bomb?" called the voice again. It sounded vaguely familiar. "We know you know where it is."

He clutched at the mattress with his hands. He now had a better view of the men. They wore uniforms that looked vaguely familiar. But it was the badge on the front of their vests that gave them away. Ravenwood.

"Think of Emily, Jake." Jonah pleaded, regaining his attention.

Emily's tear-filled face flashed in his mind, but was quickly replaced by visage of Heather. Heather needed him. He had to protect her, his mother and all of Jericho. But he had promised Hawkins as well. He gambled, his hoarse voice betraying his fear, something Rob had been trying to teach him to hide. "I don't know!"

It was suddenly very hot in his room and he couldn't breathe. But he could see the breath of the soldiers in the room as if it were freezing. He couldn't tell them where it is, no matter what Robert Hawkins had told him, not even if his life depended on it. They had killed everyone who knew about the plot and bombs thus far, including their families. That's what Hawkins had told him and he had taken his own family out of reach to protect them. Had Jake been naive in thinking his own family, his mother, brother and now, Heather, would be safe despite all the things he was up to, despite all the things he and Hawkins were planning?

"Lies." The voice echoed. "Kill the mother."

"NO!" Jake screamed. He tried to get off the bed but the bedding was still tangled around his legs. Three rifles were thrust in his face, stopping him from moving.

"No, please!" he heard his mother out in the hallway.

"Mom!" he yelled, struggling to get out of the bed. Cold hands pushed him back.

Hawkins had shown him the pictures of the murders of the families who knew about the terrorist plot. Was this how they had done it? In the dead of night?

Gunshots rang out from the hall followed by a loud thump. His mother's body hitting the floor. Heather screamed and began crying loudly. "Oh my God, oh my God! Let me go, please!"

He had never heard Heather so anguished before He could hear her sobs. His heart broke and Jake still couldn't breathe.

"God, please, I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Jake pleaded. How could they shoot his mother? She had never hurt anyone.

"We know you do. You're going to tell us or the other one dies too. She's important to you, isn't she? Rather pretty." Jake looked up and instantly recognized the face of the man who had been talking. Beard, piercing blue eyes. It was Goetz, the one who killed those people at the hospital and had come to Jericho to steal their food and fuel. The one who had threatened that he would be back.

Jake glanced over and saw Heather huddled in the doorway, being held by two soldiers, their gloved hands holding her pale arms left bare by her summer nightgown. His Heather, normally calm and so sweet and innocent. He had worked so hard to protect and shelter her but it hadn't been enough. Somehow, the military had found out about how much she meant to him. Tears streamed down her face and there was a look of absolute terror on her pale face. No, she's not important, he wanted to say. That's what I've been telling you all this time. She's just a friend. But he knew that was a lie. Heather had become the world to him, Jericho and the love of his life all tied up in one. His heart pounded.

"Maybe I'll let my men have some fun with her first." Goetz sneered. There was a cough and a couple chuckles about the room.

One of the soldiers holding Heather held a handgun, the barrel aimed at Heather's head. He heard the click of the handgun being made ready to shoot. It echoed menacingly around the room.

"Jake, please!" Heather pleaded, sobbing and shaking. Somehow, he didn't think Heather would break down that easy and it terrified him. She was so innocent to violence. She had always been so strong. "Just tell them what they want. God, I don't want to die."

"Tell them, Jake!" Jonah begged. His leg wound was bleeding through his bandage, his face pale, blue eyes dark and sad as they stared at him. He looked like he could collapse any moment, yet two soldiers were doing their best to keep him upright.

But Jonah was dead, Jake reminded himself. Jake closed his eyes.

The fate of the country rested in his answer. If they got the bomb, they could use it anywhere. They could cover their tracks of what they had done and who may have been responsible. They would get away with the biggest crime in the world. Then all the work he and Hawkins were doing would be for nothing. All those who had died.. .their deaths would be meaningless. But the look in Heather's eyes stirred his heart. Maybe he could stop them, delay them somehow, give him some time to think and plan, wasn't that what Hawkins was trying to teach him? Patience, watch, listen, learn, look for alternatives...

"All right, all right," he relented, opening his eyes. "I'll tell-"

"You took too long." Goetz interrupted him. He nodded at the soldiers holding Heather. "Shoot her!"

The soldier holding Heather didn't even hesitate as he pulled the trigger, the gunshot echoing loudly with a bang. Too many guns lately, too much blood, too many deaths...

"Heather!" Jake screamed scrambling toward her as he saw her body crumple. But his legs were tangled in the bed sheets and bright lights blazed in his face, rifles prodding him hard in the chest. The look of surprise and terror left her face as she dropped to the floor, eyes closing forever...

* * *

Light flooded his bedroom, soft warm light from overhead. Jake sat straight up, eyes whipping around the room, looking for the soldiers and Goetz, his hands clenching in fear and rage. 

"Jake?" Heather was beside him, her arms going around his shoulders as he sat up in his bed, shaking.

The sheet on his bed was wrapped around his legs and his body was soaked with sweat, including the bandages still snugly wrapped around his chest. The windows of his bedroom were still open letting in the cool, summer night air. He could hear the sounds of the crickets chirping, but no other sounds other than the pounding of his heart and his staggered breathing. The quiet of the room, the still of the night, the emptiness hit him all at once. Reality began to take hold around him.

"Heather?" Jake whispered, glancing up at her, blinking at the brightness of the overhead light. His pulse was racing and he struggled to breathe. Images from his nightmare pounded through his mind. He grabbed her arm where it crossed in front of his chest, feeling the solidness of her flesh, gripping it hard as he tried to convince himself that she was indeed real. The image of her body hitting the floor flashed before his eyes. "God, they killed you!"

Heather looked and felt alive and well, but her face was lined with worry. Her voice was soft and strong. "Sssh, Jake, I'm here. It was just a bad dream."

He was gripping her arm hard enough to leave marks, so he slowly released it, closing his eyes as images from the nightmare continued to flash through his mind. Goetz's sinister, unrelenting voice, the sound of his mother's body dropping to the floor, Jonah pleading with him, Heather crying...

Breathe in, breathe out, Jake told himself, willing away the lingering panic from his body and mind. His ribs throbbed with pain with every heartbeat and every breath. His head pounded with a fierce headache, his jaw almost aching from the imagined blow from the rifle. It was just a nightmare, he reminded himself. Just a dream. With the charter, the meetings and rapid training sessions with Hawkins, the raid on Jonah's, Jonah dying, Emily angry with him, and all the secrets he was learning about and keeping from the Cheyenne government, he realized he had been holding it so tightly up inside him that it should be no surprise that the stress was getting to him. He took a deep breath, ignoring the pain it caused, then let it out slowly.

Heather's soft hands stroked his hair as she knelt beside him on the bed. He leaned into her, relishing her familiar softness and the warmth of her body from sleep. They had shot her in his dream, killed her for how much she meant to him, for him knowing about the bomb and more. The nuclear bomb was still hidden. Only he and and Hawkins knew where it was. And for that, they were going to kill his mother... and Heather.

Jake scooped Heather up into his arms, pulling her across his lap, holding her tight against him, not caring that he was hot and sweaty, nor that his injured ribs were throbbing and protesting at the abuse. He needed to feel her familiar softness, to feel the strong beat of her heart, the steadiness of her breathing. He buried his face into her hair, inhaling her soft scent, smelling and feeling her warmth, the smell and feel of sleep still lingering around her. He felt her body tense in reaction to the suddenness of his move but slowly relax against him, her arms wrapping around his neck, her lips kissing his brow. Jake closed his eyes and she kissed his eyelids and down to his mouth and he kissed her for all he was worth, harder than he should have, but he needed to taste her, to feel her, to know that she was alive.

Reality came back as he felt a shiver run through Heather's body and he felt the coolness of the room around them and against his skin, suddenly aware that it wasn't exactly a warm summer night and all his windows were still open. She was above the sheet only wearing her nightgown, her bare shapely legs across his lap, though her body was warm against him. He wondered if she was cold or just responding to him. Unsure, he broke off the kiss,. Jake looked at Heather, meeting her eyes. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Are you all right?" She laid her head against his shoulder. Her hand softly stroked his chest right over his heart and just above his bandage.

"I am now." Jake replied, his heart still pounding, but now not just from his nightmare.

"Want to talk about it?" Heather asked, her breath warm against his neck.

Stroking her hair, Jake shook his head as he murmured. "No."

But he couldn't tell her, not now, if ever. He needed to protect her, and his mother and brother and all of Jericho from what he knew; the dangers, the horrors, the way this Cheyenne government was overtaking the West. That a group of people who may be involved in this current government was likely involved in the overall terrorist plot to destroy the United States was terrifying. They were people with power, too much power, that could heartlessly kill millions of people and bring a country to its knees like they already had. They had likely launched nuclear bombs against other countries. What more damage could they do with another nuclear bomb in their hands? They could easily snuff out the Eastern government. They could demand access to the rest of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and use it against other countries. The importance of what he and Hawkins were doing hit him anew, and made him realize that just knowing what he did was dangerous enough. People had died for what he now knew. They were after Rob Hawkins now.

The small matters and problems of Jericho seemed minute compared to the bigger picture of what had happened to the United States and finding those responsible for it. But he also needed to know that his hometown was safe and taken care of, especially when they couldn't count on anyone else to help them. Rob had already told him that this government was using its power and influence to take over towns and farms with the excuse of restoring power and order, then starting to recruit people for their new government and army, those who wouldn't ask too many questions but just be glad to have order restored. Control the food and utilities, maintain order and limit information and people were more likely to not worry abut the bigger picture of what you were doing. Or if they did, soon it would be too late, as the news from the Underground was telling them. The Cheyenne government was moving fast to reinforce bases and set up new ones along the Mississippi River to keep the Eastern government out. The pubic news was still calling the Eastern government, the former government of the United States, responsible for the bombs and telling everyone that they were going to do better protecting those in the West who were a part of this new government. It was quickly turning into a propaganda war, though there had been little actual skirmishes thus far, but Rob was sure it was only a matter of time before real battles broke out, the scale of which the world hadn't seen, that the United States hadn't seen, since the Civil War, since World War Two, or if ever if one considered the modern technologies and devices of warfare that each side now had access to. Now, they were also working on recruiting men for their military and contracting companies, a move that left him cold with worry.

He need to make sure Jericho was back on his feet and a big part of that was the charter. Jake had spent long hours yesterday going over the charter proposal and rules, making sure there hadn't been anything else they had missed. He had been afraid to think what would happen if the charter didn't pass. It was something he had talked to Eric about, his pessimism often getting the best of him. They would have to hope and pray that they would be able to keep order, plant crops and get them harvested, and set up some sort of trade with other towns and manage the demands the Cheyenne government was asking of them while more people left town with the promises of jobs in Cheyenne and with the new government. It had to pass, that was all there was to it. His pessimism was worrying him however. Jericho had been through a lot in the past months. Could they come through to pass the charter?

"It must have been bad, Jake." The tone of Heather's voice was still questioning, silently asking him to talk more. It broke him out of his reverie of worry.

He nuzzled her hair, inhaling the soft lingering scent of her homemade shampoo. He had had nightmares before, usually about the night Chris died, his time in Iraq and when he had killed the Iraqi girl, but it had been a long time since he had had one. Usually he was the one comforting Heather after her nightmares. But he didn't want to scare her with what it had been about. So he lied, glad that she was still tucked against him and couldn't see his face and how terrified he still was. "I don't remember most of it now."

"Nightmares can be funny like that." Heather replied, though he wasn't sure she sounded convinced.

He decided to not dwell on it for now and opted for his usual tactic of changing the subject. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"It's okay. I owe you a few." Heather ran a hand down his arm and he felt the slickness from his sweat at her touch.

"Now we'll both need a shower." He chuckled, feeling the stickiness from their bodies being pressed together. The idea that this would be what it felt like if they had just had sex flashed through his mind. He liked the feel of her body against him in his bed. And his body did too.

"You've been under a lot of stress lately. The charter vote tomorrow and what happened with Jonah and getting shot probably made it worse." Heather tried to explain his nightmare away for him.

"That's probably what it is." Though Jake didn't want to think about the dream and how close to reality it could come. He had a feeling that keeping all the secrets was also tearing him up inside. He tried to not think about them too much, but his sub-conscious was trying to remind him, no doubt.

Heather glanced up at him, studying his face. She still looked worried, so he bent his head down to kiss her softly, letting his hand stroke down her shoulder and back while the other explored up her thigh, feeling warm, silky skin beneath his touch. She was so light and small in his lap, fitting perfectly against him, his body responding and reminding him that there were barely any layers between them. He wanted her right there, wanted to bury himself within her and hear the sound of her passion as he took them both to the brink and past it. But the image of her crumpling body and pale, horrified face wouldn't leave his mind. His heart still unsettled, Jake slowly broke off the kiss. With his ribs restricting his movement, he needed a distraction other than Heather.

"I need to take a shower." Jake decided, staring at her with hooded eyes.

"Want company?" Heather suggested in a husky voice.

He laughed, wondering if she had just read his mind, thinking about how it would feel to shower together. He longed to see her without clothes, though he had seen the top half already and loved every inch that he had seen. Her nightgown barely covered enough and made his imagination run wild, especially when he could feel all her wonderful curves and soft warmth against him. He smirked down at her. "I don't think showering would be all we would do."

"True." They were still taking it slow, but he loved this little game they played in the meantime. It kept him interested and looking forward to when they actually were ready for the final act. "And at least one of us is supposed to work tomorrow."

She gave him a quizzical look, a classic Heather look where she tilted her head and had a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. Heather added. "But maybe I'll play hooky again."

Jake had been ordered to take a week off to let his ribs heal but with the charter vote tomorrow, he knew he couldn't stay at home for long, despite being forced to for the past couple of days. Heather had stayed with him yesterday, babying him and making sure he stayed in bed and was not bothered much except for when Emily had stopped by. After that, Heather had been aloof with him even while they watched movies together late into the night, but he figured it was because he had been a terrible patient, driving her nuts all day. He hated sitting still and being useless, even for a day. There was too much to be done with the charter vote tomorrow but he had been overruled from leaving his room until after dinner by both his mother and Heather. Maybe he could stay home again tomorrow and spend time with Heather, something he hadn't much time for lately.

"Go take a shower and I'll remake your bed for you." Heather affectionately rumpled his hair. "Then we'll fix those bandages of yours."

Jake sighed as Heather slid off his lap. He felt the loss from her moving away from. Slowly, he staggered to his feet to head to the bathroom. It was a painful process with his chest hurting so bad. He felt the pain and tension throughout his body. He gritted his teeth and wish he had some pain pills.

He paused at the door to look back at Heather. She looked beautiful and right at home sitting in the middle of his bed. Her hair was mussed from sleep, her nightgown barely covering her, her legs tucked up beneath her, her blue gray eyes sparkling up at him. Heather was alive and well. He locked the image in his mind.

As he headed into the bathroom , he was reminded that now more than ever, he needed to protect Heather. The nightmare was a harsh reminder. Those who knew about the bomb had been killed, their family members murdered along with them. He had told Lt. Robbins and others at the outpost that he didn't have any romantic ties. It was difficult, especially when he saw the way that other men looked at Heather, the way the soldiers talked about the women of Jericho, the way Dr. Kenshy had teased him about Heather. It was getting harder and harder to keep their relationship quiet and he knew that Heather wasn't happy about it either. He saw the looks of disappointment and confusion from her more and more lately, as hard as he tried to ignore them. But he also needed her trust that he was doing this for her own protection.

Even now that Jonah was taken care of, his stress level was far from decreasing. All the things he had been avoiding thinking about for the past week suddenly came flooding back... his distrust of this federal government, the ongoing crime in and around Jericho, the news Emily had brought today about the military movements, the fact that he had a nuclear bomb just outside of Jericho...

Clean from his shower, Heather expertly rewrapped his bandages before kissing him softly, wishing him sweet dreams and heading off to her own bed. Despite the clean bed Heather had prepared for him, it was a long time before Jake fell back asleep.

* * *

"Johnston Jacob Green, Junior, just where do you think you're going?" Gail Green called from kitchen doorway as Jake reached for the front door. Hearing his full name from his mother was enough to make him stop in his tracks, but it also reminded him of his nightmare from last night. He groaned and put on his best 'I am being a good boy' look for his mother as he turned toward her. 

"The horses need checked." He replied, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. It had taken him nearly twenty minutes to get himself dressed. Putting on his shoes had taken most of that time, as bending over was agonizing. He had taken the time to shave at least, wanting to be presentable today of all days. It was nearly nine o'clock and Heather was already up and gone. He figured she had gone to work at the turbine plant after all. He had heard his mother working in the kitchen and was hoping to slip out the front door before she noticed. He wanted to check the horses and make sure there wasn't any signal from Hawkins. They were overdue for another meeting and his nightmare last night had increased his anxiety ten-fold about what they were up to. Then he planned to head to City Hall and stop in at a few of the local gathering spots in town to talk about the charter and encourage people to vote. He couldn't let his injuries slow him down, not today, not after spending the last two days at home.

Drying her hands on a towel, Gail walked up to him and put a hand on his arm, pulling him away from the door. "Heather and Eric already went and should be back in time for breakfast."

"And I need to go and talk to people about the charter before they vote-" he added, shrugging out of his mother's grasp.

"You've done more than enough. If people haven't made up their minds on how they are going to vote by now, you're not going to convince them."

Memories from his past assaulted him, stabbing his chest with renewed grief. It was something Jake had heard his mother tell his father every election day. It was eerie hearing it aimed at him. As he often did, he wondered what his father would have thought about the charter and what Jake was doing to save Jericho.

"And you're in no shape to be out walking around yet." Gail gave him a cursory look and he attempted to stand up a bit straighter to prove her wrong,. Jake inhaled sharply as his ribs protested with pain. His entire body was stiff and he hadn't wanted to take the time to shower again, even to help him loosen up some, especially since he had taken a shower just a few hours ago.

"And I still need to go and cast my vote." He was running out of excuses. He hated sitting around in bed when there was so much work to be done. His body still throbbed with pain and his head pounded from a headache. But they had opened City Hall for voting at seven o'clock and he might still have time to talk to people before they voted, be there to answer any last minute questions and be a positive influence while they voted.

"You can do it later when we all go together." His mother said. "And if you don't go sit down at the table right now, I won't vote for this charter of yours."

Jake had to chuckle at that, but even that caused him pain. Sighing, he knew he wouldn't talk his way out of this one. He relented. "All right. But we go as soon as Heather is back."

"After breakfast," Gail corrected.

"What's for breakfast?" Jake asked.

"The usual."

Which meant eggs. Always more and more eggs.

"And pancakes." She added with a twisted smile. It was good to see his mother smile again.

Now that got his attention. They must have gotten some of the winter wheat harvested and milled finally. They had been running low on flour for the last couple of weeks, but fortunately they had fruit and vegetables coming into season as well as some chicken to help make up for it. Though they usually ate a light lunch and dinner, his mother tried to make sure they usually had a good breakfast, especially when Eric came to join them. Mary was an even worse morning person than he was and only joined them for breakfast on Sundays for brunch.

He was halfway through his second stack of pancakes when Heather and Eric walked in the front door. Heather was laughing at something his brother said and he felt a stab of jealousy. He should have been the one walking with her out to the ranch and back.

"Hey you!" Heather kissed him on the cheek as she walked passed on the way to the kitchen, smiling in her bubbly-personality way. She was slightly out of breath and looked adorable in jeans and a low cut summer top. That was one thing he loved about Heather. She dressed in comfortable yet often cute clothes and didn't obsess about how she looked or what she was wearing. But she could easily look sexy and beautiful in a dress like her bridesmaid dress at Stanley's wedding or the dresses she wore to church each Sunday. "Feeling better?"

Though after eating, he was feeling a little better. He found her good mood addictive . "Little bit."

He heard Eric and Heather grabbing dishes in the kitchen and making small talk with his mother. A minute later, both came into the dining room to join him at the table. Gail trailed behind them carrying a big plate of pancakes, another of eggs and small bowl of cherries and strawberries. Heather sat down to next to him, giving his leg an affectionate squeeze under the table and he nearly dropped his fork, all too aware of what her touch did to him.

"We found this tied to the barn door." Eric pulled a red handkerchief from his jeans pocket and dropped it on the table as he sat down across from him. He gave Jake a hard, questioning look. "Any idea why it was there?"

Jake froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. Usually Jake was the one going out to take care of the horses for this very reason. He knew what the handkerchief meant. Good, Hawkins wanted to meet, but bad, this wasn't exactly a good time.

"Yeah." He reluctantly confessed. Eric, Heather and Gail now were all staring curiously at him. They had to find out sometime. He couldn't always be the one out taking care of the horses as he had for the past several months. Usually, he walked Heather to the plant and went out to the ranch before heading out to the military outpost. Sometimes Heather joined him, but not always. His schedule had been thrown off by being laid up in bed today. Jake ran a hand down his face, not daring to look at any of them. "It means I have to go tomorrow."

"One of your trips?" Eric asked, serving himself several of the pancakes, glancing at Jake suspiciously.

"So that's why it's been there." Heather commented. She had been with him the last time he had come across the handkerchief and he had tried to act like it meant nothing.

Jake glanced up and saw the disappointed look on Heather's face. His heart ached at the sight. But his nightmare came back to him, reinforcing his need to protect her and not get her involved with what he was up to. She was watching him carefully as if wanting to ask him something, but then glanced down at her food instead. He wondered if he was asking too much from her to keep trusting him. Their relationship was the single best part of his life right now. Her innocence and goodness were his strength. They were usually so open about what was going on, but this was too much. It was his problem and his mission and part of that was protecting her, especially from the evil and truth of what was really going on and had happened.

Eric reached for the syrup and paused to glare at him. "Want to tell me what's this about? Like who is leaving this on the door-"

"No, I don't." Jake interrupted his brother and feigned an intense interest in his food, feeling the awkwardness that he had just caused. It was a lot harder to not tell your own family what you were up to. But he had to, for their own protection. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"But you are meeting with someone on these trips? Not just looking for Hawkins as you're telling the military?" Eric continued.

"Yeah." Jake saw Heather eying him oddly but she didn't say anything. His mother finally sat down at the table and served herself some food at last. She looked concerned as well. Jake didn't like having all the attention on him. So he added belatedly, not daring to look at any of them. "Contacts for gangs."

Eric sighed at him. "Jake, they are getting suspicious. Lt. Brady has been asking a lot of questions, especially about anyone acting strange and Gray mentioned that you were taking these trips out of town and wondered what work you were doing for the military still and-"

"Is everything set up for the vote today?" Jake interrupted again, deliberately changing the subject but eying their mother so that Eric hopefully got the hint. He wondered when Eric and Lt. Brady and Gray had been talking about him. Maybe in last Friday's meeting which he had missed while working at the outpost preparing for the raid. He had been missing a number of the meetings lately. They met every Tuesday and Friday morning with the military liaison, though they had canceled today's meeting due to the charter vote today. He knew the military was still trying to follow the trail of Hawkins, even searching neighboring towns. But they had recently turned back to asking residents of Jericho again for more details about Hawkins, and Jake's name kept coming up as someone who had worked with Robert Hawkins more than others.

"Yeah, we're good." Eric caught his glance and answered. "There was already a line when I went by City Hall this morning. Most of the farm families getting an early start."

"Good, let's hope that a good turnout works in our favor." Jake said, not missing a beat. He had missed being able to help set up yesterday for the vote today due to his injuries. This was his baby and he should have been there. But Dr. Kenshy had ordered bed rest and his mother had taken that literally. And he had been outnumbered when Heather had sided with his mother.

The rest of breakfast, he was successful in keeping the conversation about the charter and what their next steps would be if it did indeed pass. Eric offered to take Mary and a few others who had been supporting the charter to go out and talk to people to encourage them to vote. It reminded Jake of the days when their father had been running for mayor and he and Eric had gone out early on election day morning to plant a hundred 'Green for Mayor' signs all over the routes to the polling places.

Eric waited until Heather and Gail took the dishes back to the kitchen. Jake heard the sound of running water and the two women talking, enough to cover up the sound of Eric's lowered voice. "So you have to go tomorrow? This really isn't a good time with the vote today. And you're still hurt."

"I know, but I don't really have a choice." He really didn't want to go either. Hours on horseback didn't sound too appealing with his aching ribs. Maybe Hawkins would still have some morphine or other pain medication on him. He would have to take along extra bandages and learn how to wrap up his injuries himself. Despite his eagerness to talk to Hawkins, especially after what had happened with Jonah, this really wasn't a good time. He was hoping to have another week to see the charter voted on and complete his debriefing on what had happened with Jonah and maybe see if he could press Colonel Hoffman on that promised job with the government.

"Still not going to tell me what you're really up to?"

Jake shook his head.

His brother stared at him. "All right, but just be careful. They are going be suspicious, especially now that Jonah is gone and most of the other gangs have been taken care of."

"Just tell them I'm tracking down a few more gangs, people who used to trade with Jonah." Jake requested. "And, that I have a solid lead on Hawkins."

"And do you?"

"I have a pretty good idea on where I can find him. He seems to always keep a few steps ahead of me, like he knows I'm looking for him." Jake hoped to slip this passed his brother.

"If you really are looking for him." Eric raised his eyebrows in a way that suggested that his lying might not be working. "You know, everyone's talking about how you took out Jonah now that Gray passed on the news officially. The firemen have been telling some wild tales about what they saw and what the soldiers said how you saved one of them. I think you've regained your hero status again."

Knowing Jonah died, Jake didn't feel like he earned that status, especially since he hadn't been able to keep any of the Jericho men from being sent away. Jonah Prowse was the villain of Jericho, even more-so since the bombs had gone off and people were still convinced that he had been the once that killed Gracie Leigh. He worried about what kind of impact this would have on Emily, however.

"Might even help with the vote." Eric added.

Jake sighed. The loss of Jonah was hitting him hard. Not quite as bad as his own father, but Jonah had been like a father to him in many ways, helping him build his confidence in himself, teaching him to fight, to work on cars and other things that his own father had never had time to. The grief in Emily's eyes was a brutal reminder that maybe he was pushing for this too hard. How heavy of a price would he and others pay in his attempt to stop this government and find those responsible for the bombs?

An hour later, all of them walked to City Hall to cast their votes together. When they arrived, the place was packed, but the line for voting was moving quickly. It was pretty easy to vote Yes, No, or No Vote. Mary was already up and working at the end of the line, giving people instructions and answering questions. She greeted Eric with a kiss and gave Jake a gentle hug and agreed to go out and talk to people with Eric after he voted. Jake saw Dale Turner and Skylar Stevens in line ahead of them.

Several people stopped to talk to him while they were waiting, commenting about the charter and whether the rumor that Jonah Prowse was really dead was true and that Jake had been shot. He answered their questions as best as he could until his mother started giving people a look when they tried to come up to him. Heather stood near him, giving him a shoulder to lean on when his ribs started to ache from trying to not look like he was in pain. They paused only to talk to Stanley and Mimi as they left City Hall. He couldn't ever remember seeing his friend Stanley so happy. Marriage was obviously treating him well. It made him realize that he was still missing something from his life, but as he glanced at Heather as she chatted with Mimi, he had a good feeling that he was on the right track to fixing that.

It was late that night when the knock came on the front door. Gail had made Jake come straight home after voting and wouldn't let him out of the house. Heather had decided to stay home and keep him company for the rest of the day and they had spent most of the day trying to distract themselves with board games, crossword puzzles and watching Titanic for the fifth time. Jake had been on the couch, with Heather beside him, both pretending to read their books. Gail was in the nearby recliner working on mending one of his father's old shirts to be donated to the redistribution center at the church. Gail and Heather looked at each other as if debating who was going to get up to answer the door. But the door opened instead and Eric entered.

Eric just stared at them from the foyer. Jake couldn't figure out his expression.

The suspense hung in the air. How many times in the past had they waited here in the living room together for their father's election results to come in?

"Well?" Gail asked at last.

They all stared at Eric. Jake held his breath.

"It passed!" Eric exclaimed, a joyous expression breaking over his face. He waved a piece of paper on the air before reading off it. "72 percent for, 26 percent against, and 2 percent no votes."

"Yes!" Heather turned and gave Jake a big hug, knocking the air of his lungs as his ribs protested.

Jake hugged her gently back before pushing her away enough to ease the pain in his ribs. But the thrill in his heart made the pain seem minimal. His charter had passed! All their hard work was finally paying off. Hope swelled up in his chest. Heather kissed him softly in congratulations.

"Thank God." Gail stood up to give Eric a big hug. This had been Eric's project as much as Jake's. Eric looked more pleased than Jake had seen him in a long time.

"There was a pretty big crowd there to hear the results." Eric reported as he took a seat in the recliner Gail had been sitting in. Their mother sat on the arm of the chair next to him. "And a lot of cheers when Gray read off the results. A big crowd is at Bailey's celebrating. Drinks on the house, of course, but soon that will be changing."

"So we'll need to have everyone sign the agreement then?" Heather asked as she settled back down next to Jake.

"Yeah," Eric replied, but he glanced at his piece of paper. Jake could see hastily scribbled notes on it that looked like his brother's handwriting. "But Dale Turner and a list of others here have said they aren't going to sign."

"Do they know what that means?" Jake asked, suddenly worrying. He sat up a bit straighter, concerned.

"Yeah, we have that form all ready to sign." Eric answered, looking disappointed.

They weren't sure of all the legalities in what they were doing, but Eric had done a bit of research into it and drafted up a reasonable document that would hopefully protect the government of Jericho from those not participating in the charter. Anyone not agreeing with the charter would have to sign a form declining their participation in the charter and accepting the responsibilities that entailed. Jake wasn't sure it would stand up in court, but they didn't really have any working courts other than in Cheyenne that he knew of. But at least it was something that might protect them from being held accountable if they had to deny services for those who didn't participate. Basically, any services that those not signing the charter wanted, they would have to pay at the going rate that the trading council decided on, which was likely to be quite costly. And that included emergency services, fuel, power, gas, medical care, and food. They wouldn't be denied emergency care and would have to pay later but emergency services would be prioritized for those in the charter.

"But won't Skylar be required to sign the charter because of the mine? And Dale because of the store?" Heather inquired.

Shareholders in businesses had to go with with the majority decision or had to vote on it. Though Dale owned Gracie Leighs, it would be hard to be such a vital part of the town, still used for for trading, and not be part of the charter. Dale hadn't been running the store lately since he was spending most of his time out on his farms.

Eric answered. "Skylar, yes since she only owns part of the mine. But Dale said he was going to turn over the running of Gracie Leigh's to the refugee, Dale Hanson, that's been running it for him."

Jake hated that he had to miss everything today. He may have been able to talk some sense into Dale and the others. "Who else didn't sign?"

Eric rattled off a list of names from his paper. Most of them were farmers just outside of Jericho, though there were a few business owners in town as well. None of them were any of the biggest farms in Jericho, however. The loss of the farms and businesses was a disappointment. Most of them were the smaller farms and businesses who probably had more to gain from trading outside. He noticed that a few of the farmers were ones located near Dale Turner's farms. He wondered if that had had any part in their decision. But the important farms, the big wheat and grain farms, the egg and poultry farm, several livestock farms, the dairy farms and the larger vegetable and fruit farms were not on the list. Nor were many of the major businesses in town, including the mine, sawmill, quarry and the plant, which Heather and Ted had been given temporary ownership of but had let their workers vote as if shareholders. Relief and elation flooded through Jake. They would now have a better chance of getting the labor they needed to help with the farms as well as keep the town services up and running. They could remain independent and not as reliant on the government.

"And Heather, a few people were asking about working in the plant, especially once we posted the rates." Eric told Heather. The rates for working in the plant were quite good, especially since Heather and Ted had promised to start producing metal products in addition to the wind turbines and windmill generators. They had even got some questions from other towns on what kind of goods they could provide, in addition to wind turbines.

"That would be good. We can definitely use the help." Heather held Jake's hand and he could feel her trembling with excitement next to him. She was just as happy as he was and this had been his baby.

Jake knew that were pretty close to finishing their first wind turbine at the plant. They could have made them quickly, but had wanted to try and get their assembly line up and working enough to be able to keep manufacturing working over the long term. They were also starting to produce the wind mill generators for the farms and had promised them on a first come, first serve basis to anyone signing the charter. But progress in the plant was slow as they had been hurting for manpower since they weren't getting paid for the work. Maybe now that would change.

The charter had passed. He was thrilled and had the people here that shared in his pride, except for one person. Jake struggled to his feet, not an easy task when your ribs were killing you. "I need to go."

"Go where?" Heather asked as she climbed to her feet next to him. She helped him stand the rest of the way up. His mother was also giving him that look. Even Eric looked worried.

"I want to go tell Dad the news." Jake said, looking at his mother.

Gail smiled.

He had gone to his father's grave several times in recent weeks to talk to him. Just the thought of knowing his father might be out there listening had brought him comfort. With everything that had been going on in the past months, he had found himself missing his father more than he had ever imagined. He was talking to his father more now than he ever did when he was alive.

"Can't that wait until tomorrow?" Eric asked, checking his watch. "It's nearly ten."

"I gotta leave early tomorrow." Jake replied, but quickly added,. "Besides, I've been cooped up all day and could use the fresh air."

"I'll come with you." Heather offered, but she hesitated. "If you want, that is."

Jake nodded and smiled at her, glad to have her company. Heather and his mother had come with him to the cemetery several times, bringing flowers. He knew his mother came up at least once a week to visit his father's and April's graves.

"Then at least take flashlights." His mother said, thankfully not objecting. "And walk slow. You really should be taking it easy with those ribs of yours." Gail looked at Heather expectantly, no doubt trusting Heather to help keep him in check.

As he stood hand in hand with Heather in front of his father's grave, Jake looked out into the distance. They had turned off their flashlights, using starlight and moonlight to guide their way, just as Hawkins had been trying to teach him. His eyes had long ago adjusted to the dark as soon as they left the outskirts of town. The sliver of a moon was setting in the west and the sky was full of stars. There were a handful of visible lights coming from Jericho at this hour. It looked so different now without so many lights. They only lit the bare minimum of streetlights in order to save power. It looked peaceful and calm, but the gun tucked into the back of his jeans was a cold reminder that things were far from peaceful nowadays.

He had talked to his father as Heather placed silk flowers from his mother in the pot at the headstone. Johnston Jacob Green Senior, it read. It was the name he shared with his father and he had never felt more honored to share that name than he was now. He could barely make out the lettering in the dark. There were several United States flags still planted on either side of the grave, fluttering gently in the light breeze. Grass had started to grow over the grave reminding him that it had been months since his father had died. He missed his father, now more than ever. As tangible as the pain in his bruised ribs, the loss of his father was equally painful. They could have used Johnston Green's wisdom and leadership in the past several months. Though they were still getting by in Jericho, Jake knew that it was just barely. Hopefully the charter would change that. He wondered what his father would have thought about the charter. He could almost hear his father's words again. 'I'm proud of you,' his father had said as he lay dying. Years ago, his father had said that one day, Jake would be the man his father knew he could be. The words came back to him and he felt a shiver run through him as if his father's spirit was touching him again. Could he be that man, he wondered to himself? Had his father really known him that well? Or would Jake just screw everything up again. He sighed heavily, feeling the immensity of everything he was doing; the secrets he was keeping and the challenges still yet ahead.

"Holding up okay?" Heather whispered as she stood next to him. Why people talked quietly in a cemetery, Jake wasn't sure other than the superstition of not wanting to wake the dead, especially at this hour of night.

"Yeah," But he felt a twinge of pain as he inhaled, feeling the pain and anguish not just from his injuries, but from the tangible emptiness in his heart at missing his father.

Heather must have heard his sharp intake of breath and moved underneath his arm to lend him her support. He wrapped his arm around her. "Thanks, baby."

As they walked slowly home, Heather got him to finally talk about the attack on the compound and Jake found himself telling her more details than he probably should have, but it felt good to have someone to talk to. Heather only asked the occasional question and added a supportive comment or constructive criticism as needed, chiding him and teasing him about being a loose cannon and not being more careful. He knew she was right and he had been trying to be more careful, though it wasn't always working out. Having gunshot wounds was a blunt and painful reminder. He could have died and instead, Trace Winters and Jonah had. The two soldiers injured by the grenade blast were going to make it, but would have crippling injuries for their rest of their lives.

When he got to the part where Jonah warned him about the government and asked him to not let them get away with what they are up to then asked him take care of Emily, his voice broke and he found himself near tears again. Heather fell silent after that but squeezed his hand in quiet support. They often talked about this Cheyenne government over dinner or with Eric, Mary, Stanley and Mimi based on what each heard, but with them, Jake knew they were only touching the surface of concerns and Jake tried to steer them away from wondering or worrying too much. He had a feeling that Heather was more perceptive than he thought, as she often had an opinion on what news they did talk about. He often found himself second guessing his decision to not tell her more. But the news from the Underground and what he heard from Hawkins was far more scary. Jake was often walking a fine line in not telling Heather and his friends too much, not wanting to worry them. He needed to protect them, in whatever way he could, and a big part of that would be uncovering what had really happened with the bombs.

Between bringing in Jonah Prowse and the charter passing, Jake was hoping for a good, peaceful summer, one spent alongside Heather and maybe making some progress toward getting inside the Cheyenne government and finding those responsible for the bombs. These things took time Hawkins was always telling him. Maybe taking out Jonah would finally get him a leg up with the Cheyenne government, especially if he had gotten noticed by the President. He wasn't looking forward to the long horse ride tomorrow, but he was eager to share all that had happened with Hawkins. Maybe they could figure out what to do now that he'd have more time on his hands. But he glanced at Heather and knew how he wanted to spend some of his time this summer.

(To be continued...)


	30. Chapter 30

Full Circle, Chapter Thirty

_Six days later_

Monday, July 2nd was a clear day with a hint of clouds on the horizon. Jake Green walked down the Main Street of Jericho, Kansas toward City Hall and stopped in his tracks. Several military Humvees plus one black Hummer were parked out in front of City Hall. 

He had gotten back from meeting with Rob Hawkins on Saturday. It had been a good trip, despite his aching and slowly healing ribs. Hawkins had shared in his enthusiasm about the success of the town charter and was equally glad that Jonah Prowse had been stopped. But Hawkins had agreed that Emily needed to be a bigger part of their operation, despite Jake's objections, though Jake was going to begin to press for that job Colonel Hoffman had offered him now. He picked up his pace as he hurried toward the brick City Hall building, suddenly concerned to find so many military Humvees plus a strange new one in town at this early morning hour.

Jake had gotten up this morning looking forward to facing the day and new week. It had been nine months since the bombs, nine months since their entire world had changed and plunged them into chaos. He tried to not think what his life might have been like if the bombs hadn't gone off. He would have still been running, angry at himself and the world, still letting his family and father down, running from the FBI and stuck being unable to find a real job because of the mistakes he had made. Now, he was working hard to save his country and hometown.

Jericho, Kansas was slowly getting back on its feet, especially now that the charter had passed and the spring crops were starting to come in and trade had started with other towns. It gave Jake some hope that things might be able to get back to normal, if not in the short term, then perhaps in the future. He wasn't sure where he would fit in that new world if things did return to normal, but at least he had found some grounding in the past few months, in a combination of protecting Jericho from New Bern and this new government, with the charter and seeing it finally pass, with taking out the gangs and stopping Jonah, in helping mislead the military in their search for Hawkins, and with his relationship with Heather and friends and family. But the price had been heavy, in loss of life and the loss of friends and family, including his father and Jonah.

They were still struggling to get by without outside resources. It seemed like every day, they found new things that they needed but had slowly run out of. Cloth, medicine, paper products, and chemicals such as insecticides and fertilizer were among the most urgent necessities now. They had a committee dedicated to researching and coming up with alternatives, but that took time. Next week, a number of Amish women from Yoder, Kansas were scheduled to come to town to teach about how they survive without many of the store-bought goods that modern society took for granted. The new government kept promising that manufacturing and trade would be returning to normal soon, though the news from the Underground reported that trade embargoes were in place keeping any foreign goods from making it onshore. They were more empty promises, despite the amount of food and salt Jericho had already shipped off to Cheyenne as requested. 

He didn't like this new Cheyenne government and the likelihood that they were somehow involved with the bombs to begin with scared him even more. He had to do something to stop them, to bring their crimes to light, whoever was responsible. Rumors of civil war were spreading across the Underground ham radio network. In the clandestine news, there were reports that the United Nations was asking all of the governments of the former United States to turn over their nuclear weapons for dismantling and inspection since they couldn't decide who was in charge of them. The Cheyenne government, now calling itself New America, was claiming independence and ownership over all the territory and military assets within its control, whereas the Eastern government wanted reunification under the old United States. Texas just wanted its own independence though both governments were trying to woo the former republic to their side. The Cheyenne government wasn't backing down, which Hawkins believed it was because it was somehow involved in the bombs to start with, which meant that they had something to hide and fight for. Fortunately, neither government had been able to regain control of the current nuclear silos across the country since the automatic lockdown security feature had been used to shut them down. It would take the old security codes, something no one had been able to find since Washington had been destroyed, to use them again. That or enough time to break the codes and rebuild them, which neither government had the time or resources to do. Or at least, that was what Hawkins hoped. 

Jake's days with Hawkins had given him time to reflect and regroup his thoughts and focus on the things he needed to do. First on his list was making sure Jericho was safe and able to take care of itself in the rough times that were sure to be ahead with all the changes going on in their new federal government.

After walking Heather to the plant, he was on his way to City Hall to check on the status of the town charter since he had been gone. He had talked about it briefly with Eric over Sunday brunch yesterday, learning that the first week was looking good for the charter, but he needed to see for himself how things were going. People still liked to get his input on matters or to settle disputes. Afterward, he was planning to head to the outpost to talk to Colonel Hoffman and see about that promised job. The he needed to talk to Emily and fill her in on what he and Hawkins had discussed.

That black Hummer brought back memories. The last time he had seen one like it was the day he had nearly blown himself up on the bridge west of Jericho. He prayed that it was just a coincidence, that maybe someone else had black Hummers, maybe an official from the government. Heather had said that the military had recently become interested in the wind turbine plant. Maybe this had something to with it. This vehicle didn't have a license plate that might hint at who it belonged to, but he couldn't remember if the ones he had seen before did either.

It was Monday. Gray usually met with the military liaison on Tuesdays and Fridays. Jake often attended those meetings, along with Eric, Larry Stevens, the ex-Marine heading up the border patrol now, and any town council members that wished to attend. So if the military was here now, it had to be some special meeting.

Jake walked up to the Hummer, glancing inside. In the driver's seat, half asleep, was a man in uniform, a uniform slightly different from the ones the local military wore, but it looked vaguely familiar. On the front of his uniform was a badge that Jake definitely recognized. His good, hopeful mood faded in an instant. Anger sparked and quickly blossomed into a raging spear of fury inside him. 

He stormed inside City Hall, heading toward the mayor's office. Bill jumped in his path, hands up to stop Jake. "Jake, they are in an important meeting. No one else is supposed to go in there!"

"Out of the way, Bill!" Jake yelled.

"I don't think it's a good idea-" 

Jake brushed passed the deputy and Bill staggered back to catch his balance. Jake knocked briefly on the door and didn't even wait for an answer. 

Entering the room, he saw Eric at his usual spot on the side wall and Larry's stocky figure near him. But in chairs in front of Gray's desk was Lt. Brady and another man in uniform, one he definitely remembered. The man turned his head to stare at Jake. Blue eyes, beard, and a look he despised immediately. Memories of his nightmare last week raced through his mind, making him inhale deeply as recognition shot through him. Goetz of Ravenwood.

"What the hell are they doing here?" Jake demanded of Gray, who jumped to his feet as Jake blazed into the room.

"Now Jake, calm down and just give us a minute to-" Gray began, making a calming gesture with his hand at Jake.

"Like hell! Do you remember what he and his team tried to do? What they did to New Bern? And in Rogue River?" Jake yelled. He glanced at his brother for support, but Eric was giving him the cut off signal, pleading silently with him with his eyes as he shook his head. Jake ignored him.

Lt. Brady got to his feet and stood in front of Jake, blocking his way. Jake had disliked this lieutenant from the start, but guessed that the officer was likely the one who had brought Ravenwood here. Under orders or not, he was still responsible. The officer was slightly shorter than him, with the standard military crew cut of his blond hair and cold brown eyes that told Jake he barely ranked above dirt in his universe. "I see you already know Commander Goetz."

"Yeah, he tried to steal our food, gas and medicine." Jake retorted, eyes going back to stare at Goetz.

"Acquire for government use." Goetz corrected him, smirking up at Jake. The man hadn't even bothered to stand up, but sat calmly in his chair, his hands on his legs and looking entirely at ease.

Jake didn't stop. "And what were you 'acquiring' at Filmore Hospital besides medicine? Or were you just using the patients for target practice?"

There were several uncomfortable clearing of throats and glances about the room. 

"Ravenwood has been working for the government since the bombs went off," Lt. Brady informed him. "They've been providing security, relocating citizens out of the hot zones, collecting supplies for redistribution, and helping patrol and guard the roads and towns."

"At gunpoint? Using artillery and missiles?" Jake remembered the City Hall in New Bern with part of its roof destroyed. 

The lieutenant nodded. "If needed. And that's usually been needed with the way things are out there. They've been working directly for the Department of Homeland Security out of Cheyenne and have been given permission to use whatever means necessary to do their jobs."

Goetz had a smug expression on his face that Jake wanted to wipe off using his fist.

"And we heard about your little encounter of trying to blow up the bridge to keep them out." Lt. Brady continued, his voice sounding annoyed and impatient. "We could hold all of you accountable for interfering with a government operation as well as attempting to destroy a government structure."

"Jake, we've been over this already." Gray tried to interject. "Lt. Brady says they won't hold us responsible for our past actions based on the lack of information we had at the time."

But what about the men that had died? Jake recalled that Hawkins had shot one of Ravenwood's men. And more probably had died in Rogue River, though neither Jake or Eric had done much of the shooting, but they couldn't prove that. Knowing what he did about Ravenwood from Iraq and other jobs he had done abroad, he knew that the company was ruthless and dangerous. They were also good at spinning events in their favor and to hide their corruption. What had they told the Cheyenne government about what had happened? What damage could they do if left in Jericho? 

Jake shifted his attention to the mayor. "Gray, I know this contracting company. They're not what they appear to be."

"Jake, we don't have any choice." Eric spoke up and the look in his eyes got Jake's attention. "Ravenwood is here to help with security. They are going to take over the roadblocks and-"

"No way in hell. We're not letting them come here!"

"Jake!" Eric took a step toward him.

"No!"

"Are you gonna let some of the Jericho men come back home? Maybe then we wouldn't need Ravenwood," Jake yelled at Lt. Brady.

Eric gave him a stony stare. His brother had been trying to negotiate the issue of the release of the Jericho men taken in the raid on Jonah's compound but with very little progress. Obviously he didn't appreciate Jake throwing out little barbs like this. Jake had never really been good at keeping his mouth shut.

"Let me talk to my brother for a minute alone," Eric told the group.

Jake didn't want to go. He wasn't going to let those butchers in his hometown, not after what he had seen, both in Rogue River and elsewhere. But Eric grabbed him by his t shirt and started dragging him out of the office. Jake struggled to stay on his feet and he saw the concerned eyes following them out of the room. Goetz just stared, looking amused then went back to looking at Gray.

Outside the mayor's office, Eric pulled him into a quiet corner. Jake's back hit the wall hard as Eric grabbed his t shirt and knocked him backwards, his brother's hand heavy and hard against his chest. His ribs still ached and he felt the blow to his back ring down his body. His brother had rarely been rough with him, but Jake was angry enough to punch someone out, even his brother. Jake swung a punch aimed for Eric's jaw but Eric was ready for it and blocked it. Eric pinned him to the wall. He struggled but his brother had weight and height to his advantage.

"Just calm down!" Eric growled at him, his eyes blazing with anger. Eric didn't often get angry. In that moment, Jake realized how much his brother resembled their father. 

Memories from his work abroad and what happened in San Diego came back to him. These people had killed Freddie. They had killed the sick and injured in the hospital. "Eric, you have no idea what these men are capable of."

"I know. I was there in Rogue River, remember?" Eric's face gained a distant expression as if remembering what they had seen.

That calmed Jake down a little, realizing that his brother did remember and had been equally horrified. "Then how can you forget what we saw?"

"Goetz told Gray that it was an accident and his men were only defending themselves when the hospital staff tried to attack them. Then they killed the patients because they had no way to keep taking care of them there and the doctors wouldn't leave until the patients were gone, one way or another. The hospital had no water and power and no place to relocate them to. They were going to die anyway."

Jake was horrified that anyone could have treated fellow human beings like that, especially the sick and wounded. No one deserved to die like that. It would have been difficult, but they could have still seen that the patients got transferred somewhere, even up to Cheyenne. He had a feeling that Ravenwood just hadn't cared to take the time to do that. Before the bombs, this would have never have happened. There would have been a full investigation and those responsible arrested and put in jail. What could really happen now without a free press and responsible government to keep them in line? Where else had Ravenwood done the same thing? "It was inhumane and uncalled for. And it wasn't an accident. Paden said that they deliberately started killing patients, even Kenshy said the same thing."

"Yeah, but its our word against theirs. And right now, our word means squat against the military and government." Eric told him. He released Jake slowly but still stood in his way. Now free, Jake pulled down his t shirt and shrugged his shoulders. His ribs didn't like the harsh treatment. "And they are working for the government. So it's either we let them bring in Ravenwood here or they are going to pull the military out completely and leave us on our own again."

So that was the leverage they were using. He had seen similar things done abroad. Once the military had cleaned up an area, they brought in contractors as they moved on to help maintain the peace, usually working with the local militia and police to maintain order. Sometimes the military had to come back in to resolve ongoing issues. That was where Ravenwood had gotten its bad reputation. They were known for letting their security lapse and letting insurgents regroup inside once secure areas as well as supplying some of them with munitions and other equipment at a hefty price, claiming it was taken in an ambush. Most contracting companies were good, but it only took one or two bad contracting companies like Ravenwood to ruin America's reputation abroad. He didn't want a company with their reputation here in his hometown. "Well, things are better out there now right, we can handle it, can't we? I've stopped a lot of the gangs out there already."

Eric shook his head. "The ones around here maybe, but they are still having problems keeping the roads open and the other gangs are starting to get more daring now that its warmer and there's more food to steal and people are trying to use the roads again. And they are starting to move more of their military forces east to reinforce the territory from the Eastern government. That's why they are pulling in contracting companies to take over once things are under control in an area."

So basically, all the work Jake had done stopping the gangs had only made it easier for companies like Ravenwood to come in and take over. Jake groaned inwardly. But he hadn't heard anything about this even from Emily, other than Colonel Hoffman had been ordered to prepare his brigade for combat. "When did you hear this?" 

"In all the meetings that you keep missing." Eric informed him. "So unless you want us on our own again, we're going to need Ravenwood to help out. They are just going to help with the roadblocks and other security for now."

It had been harder to keep men on the border patrol over the warmer months, though they still had a skeleton crew that still assisted at the military roadblocks on the main routes into Jericho and did patrols around the outskirts of town every few hours. Still, it wasn't enough to protect the town on its own, especially since so many were working on farming and other labor. They had gotten too used to the military being here and let their own security lapse. Maybe he could get them to increase the charter rate for the border patrol and rebuild it, but it would be a hard sell to get people to spend long boring nights on roadblocks and patrols again, especially if the government was still going to take care of it, even if contractors. But no one else knew Ravenwood like he did. But he had never told anyone but Heather about what Ravenwood had done in San Diego. No one here knew much about Ravenwood except for what had happened at the bridge that day and that they had taken food and gas from many towns across Kansas. Only a few people knew what Eric and Jake had seen in Rogue River. But what else would Ravenwood be doing here? Contracting companies often had further objectives that the military didn't handle.

"For now." Jake echoed. "But what next? And what do you want me to do, forget all that happened and trust them?"

Eric shook his head. "No, but at least be civil and appear to be trying to work with them. Look, they should only be dealing with Lt. Brady, Gray, Larry and me. You haven't been as active with the running of Jericho lately anyway."

"I am with the charter." Jake protested. Eric gave him a doubtful look and he realized that his brother was right. As he worked for the military taking out the gangs, he had been spending less and less time helping at City Hall except for the town charter, which had mostly been taken over by Eric and the town committee. People still tracked him down for advice and helping settling disputes, and he still helped Bill and Jimmy at the sheriff's office when he could. But his trips out with Hawkins had kept him away even more. He suddenly felt out of touch with what had been happening in Jericho for the past couple of months. But if Ravenwood was here, that must mean that the military was leaving.

"When's the military pulling out?" Jake asked Eric.

Eric didn't look surprised by his question and replied. "It's starting already. They are going to still keep the outpost with a light crew. But most of the firepower is moving east to Fort Riley and then to the Mississippi and St. Louis and Memphis."

It was news Jake already knew from Emily, but he pretended to act like it was new to him. He hadn't told his brother much of what he had learned from Emily and Hawkins. That would only lead to more questions he didn't want to answer. "Does that mean what I think it does?"

"Dunno, all Brady is saying is that they are just protecting the states of the new union." Eric shrugged and didn't look convinced. "And they asked Gray if they could open a recruitment office in town."

"Recruitment or draft?" 

"Recruitment, for now, as far as I know. But a few of the vets in town told me they had been approached to ask if they'd be interested in serving again." Eric replied.

The tension inside Jake increased ten-fold So that was what they were doing with the military records that Emily had shown him. 

"Not good," Jake spoke his thoughts aloud, shaking his head.

"I know." Then Eric looked at him with that pleading look like he was just about to ask Jake a favor. "So, will you just put up with this for now? Until we can figure out what to do? I want to talk to Larry and see if we can get the border patrol back in place. And talk to Gray about keeping a close eye on Ravenwood."

His brother was ever the diplomat. It was a hard pill to swallow letting Ravenwood here. So much for his quiet summer. Jake gave a reluctant nod.

"And Jake, if I was you, I'd watch what you say and do from now on."

"Why?"

Eric sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Lt. Brady noticed you disappeared again and was asking why, especially since it was right after the charter was ratified. I've been trying to cover for you as you asked, but he keeps asking and wants to know what you're working on, especially since Lt. Robbins has no idea what you're doing."

Jake closed his eyes as he leaned against the wall. He was hoping to avoid notice, but hadn't considered what would happen once he took many of the gangs out. "And what did you tell him?"

"Like you told me to say, that you were looking for Hawkins and checking out a few other gangs that you heard about, but that's only going to work for so long before they want results or more information. And they might be turning over this search for terrorists over to Ravenwood as well."

That wasn't good. Jake sighed. His body was tense with unease and anger.

Eric glanced at his watch before looking at Jake. "Now let's back in there and if you behave yourself, the rest of this will go smoothly."

"Eric, I don't like giving in to them on things like this." Jake looked at his brother

"I know and I don't either, but I don't really see any other choice."

There will be if he and Hawkins could uncover the corruption of this government and show what a sham it was, that it or someone within it was responsible for the bombs. Jake realized that his brother was right. If he objected too much, they were likely to start asking too many more questions about what Jake was doing and he didn't want to attract any more attention to what he was up to. And he still had to keep on the military's good side if he was to keep going forward as Hawkins asked. If he kept on plan, he would be working for the Cheyenne government soon and if he had to leave Jericho, that would mean that someone would have to keep Jericho safe. He just wasn't sure he trusted Ravenwood to do that. He had met many of their men over the years and they weren't from the best of backgrounds, not nearly as diligent about researching backgrounds as the military was. And who knew who they were recruiting nowadays without a strict government or free press to oversee them and hold them accountable.

Sighing, Jake followed his brother back to the mayor's office, uncertainty settling within him.

"So, does this mean we'll be getting the medicine you promised?" Gray was asking as they entered the mayor's office.

"We do have some now and we're starting to distribute it. Saline, antiseptic, some antibiotics and insulin. We can get those as medicine is allowed past the embargoes." Lt. Brady replied. The lieutenant had sat back down in his chair and was taking notes as he talked.

They stopped talking as he and Eric entered the room.

"I've convinced my brother that it would be in our best interest to have Ravenwood here to help out." Eric told Gray.

Gray nodded at Eric. "Thank you, now about the fuel..."

Gray went on talking with the lieutenant and discussing the details of how Ravenwood was going to take over the roadblocks and assisting with the search for terror suspects, including reviewing their list of arrivals in Jericho since the bombs had gone off. But Jake couldn't keep his eyes off Goetz. The man had been in his nightmare, killing his mother and Heather. The nightmare still haunted him as he tried to fall asleep each night, reminding him of the task at hand and the dangers ahead. The imagery was too recent and too real feeling. He had never believed in precognition before, but the memory of his nightmare sent a shiver down his back as he continued glaring at Goetz. The rest of the meeting passed but Jake only half-listened to it, brooding and still angry. It sounded like this deal was as good as done and he was powerless to stop it. On his way out, he tried to slip out before anyone could stop him.

"Johnston Jacob Green," said a voice behind him as Jake descended the steps outside City Hall. 

The voice from his dream. A chill went straight down his spine and he shivered despite the warmth of the summer morning.

"Junior," added Goetz. "You know, I did a little asking around about you in the company after one of my men thought you looked familiar. Appears there was a bit of a misunderstanding involving a Johnston Jacob Green Jr. in San Diego a couple days before the bombs. Funny how he disappeared just as the FBI was getting involved."

Jake clenched his fists, wanting to punch the man. He whirled about to face Goetz. "I wouldn't know anything about that. I was on my way home here."

Goetz stepped down the remaining steps and stopped right in front of Jake, right inside his personal space. "Indeed. Too bad most of the people who knew anything about it got nuked. Funny how you made it out of San Diego right before the bomb there went off. And funny how about twenty thousand dollars in company cash went missing at about the same time. Must have been blown up in the nuke, too."

He knew exactly where that money had gone. To Anna, his best friend Freddie's pregnant fiance. He only hoped that Anna was still safe in New Mexico with her family. The baby would have been born by now and would be without a father because of Ravenwood.

Jake couldn't hold back any longer. He grabbed Goetz by the throat and pushed him against the side of the black Hummer. He had a death grip on the man's throat, wanting to squeeze his fingers just a little tighter as the man began to gasp for air. "Look, I don't like you being here, not just for what you tried to do here and what you did in Rogue River, but because I know your company and the things you were doing in Afghanistan and Iraq. That's why I wanted nothing to do with you, even after the FBI asked me to help them out."

Goetz didn't look bothered by Jake's harsh treatment, but he thought he saw a flicker of fear in the man's eyes, just for a second and then it was gone. It spurred him on. Jake glared at Goetz as he mustered up the meanest voice that he could. "So it would be in our mutual best interest if we saw as little of each other as possible."

"We're supposed to be checking out everyone that arrived just before the bombs went off." Goetz informed him, his voice made hoarse by Jake's grip. "Funny how your name wasn't on the list they gave me, the one listing all suspicious people who arrived in Jericho right before and after the bombs went off. If only they knew what kind of work you did before-"

Goetz's words were cut off as Jake tightened his fingers.

A hand grabbed Jake by the shoulder and jerked him back. He was forced to release Goetz and Jake saw the man that had been driving the Hummer now blocking his path, scowling at him and calling over his shoulder to Goetz. "Sir, are you okay?"

Goetz stood up and began massaging his throat, smiling at Jake. He replied to the man. "Yeah."

He looked over the man's shoulder at Jake. "I warned you that once the government put itself back together, we'd be back. I'm just doing my job."

"Yeah and your job entails whatever they pay you to do, no questions asked? And maybe a little side business to fatten up the company pocketbook?" Jake accused. He knew how they operated. He had been working for a similar organization until he wizened up enough to get out. He tried to consider a government that would order hospital patients and doctors shot, but couldn't see a government doing that. Not the United States government at least. And the men that would carry out such a order were even worse. Homicide in the name of money and expediency, not in fighting a war. 

"Just trying to help you all get back on your feet." 

"We're doing just fine on our own." Jake replied. And they would be, thanks to his charter. At least he sure as hell hoped so. Jake lifted his chin defiantly at the man. "Just do what they asked you to do, protecting the roads and manning the roadblocks and we'll continue to do fine."

And Jake hoped that was all it was going to be.

Goetz gave him a weak nod as he straightened up his uniform. The last thing Jake saw as he quickly walked away was the same smug expression on the man's face. Jake's anger raged on.

* * *

Jake had been planning on heading to the outpost to talk to Colonel Hoffman about his job possibilities, to continue his work with Lt. Robbins, to get a debriefing on the attack on Jonah Prowse's compound and see if there were any other gangs that needed taken care of in the short term. But now he wasn't sure he could stomach facing the lieutenant today nor the chance of running into Colonel Hoffman. In his current state of mind, he knew he would end up yelling at the colonel demanding to know why they were leaving them with Ravenwood. But what his brother had said came back to him. The military was beginning to get suspicious of him, even after all the work he had been doing for them. If he went in there with guns blazing, there were likely to be questions. He needed to calm down first and think about how to broach the two subjects with the colonel. He needed to come up with a good story of what he had been doing on his trips away. And he needed to find out about what the military was doing with their movements and he was not likely to get beneficial information if he flew in there like an angry wasp.

Instead, he turned down a side street and in the direction of the person he knew he could talk to.

"Where's Heather?" Jake asked to the first person he saw inside the wind turbine plant. He didn't know him, but Heather had said that they had had a number of new workers since the charter passed, a few of them from the refugees they had received in the last year. He saw that the man was wearing a hard hat, as most of the plant workers were now, an old version of hard hats that looked extremely uncomfortable and had probably been left behind by the previous owners and workers at the plant. Heather had been telling him lately how they were focusing on safety, especially since they lacked adequate medical care. The man pointed deeper in the plant, toward the huge assembly floor area, instead of the offices where Heather was often found.

There was hammering and sawing and various hand trucks being used to move and setup equipment around the floor as he entered the large part of the plant. It was noisy despite the lack of power. There was a busy bustle of people, mostly men but also a few women, working as he walked quickly by them.

He saw Bobby O'Neil working setting up a table saw as he passed the workshop area of the plant. He didn't bother to wave or say anything, not sure he wanted to make small talk right now. Heather had said that the man was doing quite well and even had some suggestions on setting up their workshop and tool repair area. He saw Bobby smiling at a co-worker as if making a joke. It was good to see the man doing well. At least Jake had been able to save one person from Jonah's compound.

The second person he asked inside the large plant floor pointed him down toward the floor on the far side of the plant. There he found Heather, laying on the ground next to Ted as they worked on fixing a piece of equipment from the underside.

Jake tried to not notice how close the two were laying together, their sides touching, arms intertwined as Heather held something with both hands and Ted used a screwdriver to bolt it in place. He was reminded how warm and soft her body felt when they laid together on the couch. He shook his head. The last thing he needed right now was jealousy to go along with his already foul mood. 

Ted noticed him standing over them and nearly dropped the screwdriver, catching it before it landed on Heather's chest. "Hi, Jake."

Heather did a double take as she glanced up and saw him hovering over them. "Hey, you're standing in our light."

And sure enough, he was casting a shadow over the two of them while they worked. He stepped aside. All of the windows in the place were opened each day to let in as much light as possible. While they still didn't have power in the plant, he had seen signs of them getting ready to install a wind turbine outside. He had passed a crew replacing bulbs in the old lights that hang from the ceiling. They were hoping to have power soon with their first wind turbine off the line. There was a lot of work to be done yet, as Heather had told him. "Need help?"

"Nah, we got this." Ted replied, putting another screw in place and tightening it. 

Jake occasionally did small jobs at the plant when he had some spare time. Even now, he was amazed by how much had changed in the short time since he had last been in here. The entire assembly line floor had been swept clean and bins of pieces and parts now sat ready to be used around each of the machines of the line. He saw severak people that used to be tool and die makers working on machines. There were machining tools used for shaping metal and others for assembling pieces and parts that would make the parts of a wind turbine. There were very rudimentary machines, but were designed to ease the production and assembly of the various parts used in the wind turbines, from the blades to the generators and the governors to regulate power output. Heather guessed it would take anywhere from ten days to two weeks to complete a wind turbine, but the lines should allow them to work on more than one turbine at once. But there were also setting up to make more of the windmill generators and other metal parts. In the distance, he could see the furnace area of the plant and the red glow of the coal furnace being used to smelt and reshape metal. The smell of smoke and hot metal hung in the air and the heat would occasionally carry on the breeze as it gusted through the floor area. Other workers were busy preparing bins and crates of parts and moving equipment into place in preparation for their assembly line to finally begin. It was much more orderly than he would have expected and he knew much of that was thanks to Ted and Heather. Heather had been studying manufacturing books for weeks and had gotten input from a number of businessmen and retired manufacturing workers in town to help in designing and setting up the plant. Heather was the organizer of the plant while Ted was the designer. They made a good team. 

Jake tried to ignore how well the two of them worked together as Heather handed Ted screws one at a time without him having to ask. He recalled what it was like working side by side with Heather on their various projects or as they worked on his car. He shifted anxiously on his feet and tried to distract himself with other thoughts, like how he may have been blindsided by Ravenwood showing up. He hadn't heard much news about contracting firms from the Underground, but most people didn't know and distrust the contracting firms like he did. 

Ted was Jake's best source of information from the Underground ham radio network. Each day, Ted would hand him a list of news reports his team of radio operators collected in the past day as well as fill him in on any other news Ted heard, even that which didn't always make it into the reports. They were now learning more about what the Cheyenne government was up to, both from people embedded in Cheyenne and out in others towns around the west. Eric and Jake were using the information to try and steer Jericho clear of potential problems, such as the request for more food and other supplies. They would hear that the government was having shortages of milk and eggs, but had told Lt. Brady that their own farms were having problems and could barely produce enough for Jericho. Jake only hoped they could continue to hide the information behind reports that the new town charter would produce. He had already asked that the reports be kept from the military. Fortunately, Gray was seeing the wisdom in this as well, but only if they did produce fake reports as well. It was going to be extra work for their accountants, but necessary if they were going to have enough food for the next winter. Worry for the future filled him especially in light of the news today that Ravenwood would be back. Images from his nightmare flashed through his mind. He started to pace, unable to stand still.

While Ted continued his work, Heather tilted her head back to look up at him. Jake realized he must look upside down from her point of view, but he wasn't sure she would be able to tell his mood, but she asked. "What's wrong, Jake?"

Ted stopped what he was doing to look at him too.

Jake debated saying 'Nothing' and continuing on his way. But then, he needed to talk, needed to get this off his chest. No one else would really understand. He didn't want to worry his mother, and Eric was always doing what was best for Jericho, even if it bordered on the questionable morally. He never used to have anyone to talk to that really understood him, or at least tried to. Emily came close, but even she was too quick to look at his flaws and where he may have been wrong and judge him accordingly before letting him just get things off his chest. Heather, on the other hand, always seemed to be a good listener and already knew so much of his past, more than anyone else. That was one of the bonuses of being in a relationship, having someone to talk to. She had a way of listening and asking questions and offering advice that didn't make him angry, but rather look at things from another point of view. "I need someone to talk to. Whenever you're done there?"

Heather gave him a worried glance. "Something going on at City Hall?"

"You could say that." Jake was amazed at how well Heather could guess things about him.

"Is the charter okay?" Ted asked. Ted had had the news of their charter had been ratified passed along in the Underground. It had gone over well and several ham radio operators were requesting more information on how it was being set up.

"Yeah, this is something else." Jake answered. 

"Just give me a minute." Heather said then focused back on her work.

A few minutes later, they were on their way out of the plant. Heather pointed out the stand they were erecting outside the plant for the first wind turbine that was almost done. It would be patched into the local power grid and would be able to supply power to the plant and several roads of homes and small businesses in the area. Heather guided them down a small street that dead ended in a lane that led through some brush. The grass and brush was quite overgrown, a reminder that they didn't have the lawn mowers and other equipment to keep the roads and yards as neat as they used to be. 

As Heather took his hand in hers, Jake tried to distract himself by thinking about the wonderful welcome home kiss Heather had given him when he had returned on Saturday. They had spent yesterday out at the Richmond farm, working together to help weed and till one of the big gardens. It seemed that so much of their time together was spent working, on the farm, on the charter, or projects for Jericho. But last night, they had watched a movie together, cuddled up together on the couch. Just thinking about their time together calmed him considerably. Despite her closeness with Ted, Heather was his, Jake reminded himself. He hadn't scared her off yet, despite his temper and the things he had been keeping from her. He wanted to protect her still, but he knew that she shared in his concern with what was happening in Jericho and the country. He tried to fill her in on some of what was going on as much as possible, glad to have someone to talk to and confide in. But all day yesterday, Heather had been more quiet lately and often giving him concerned looks, sometimes starting to say something then stopping herself. He felt the slight distance between them and had a feeling it was due to his trips away. Emily used to hate when he left to do long truck drives for her father. He could only assume that Heather felt the same way when he went away, especially since they had no phones to keep in touch with while he was gone. He missed her while he was gone, often finding his mind thinking of her and wondering what she was up to when he should have been paying attention to what Hawkins was telling and teaching him. Heather was a worrier, he knew, and he was doing his best to not give her things to worry about, but it was hard. Maybe that was why he didn't share more of what he was up to with her. She would only worry more. It was a fine line he walked in trying to not tell her too much. But she needed to know about Ravenwood. And he needed to give her and his mother more gun lessons, he made himself a mental note. They needed to be able to protect themselves.

"There's a picnic table down here, down by the runoff creek." Heather explained. "We sometimes come down here to eat lunch."

Alone and now away from people, as they walked Jake filled Heather in on what had happened in the mayor's office, leaving out the part of the military being suspicious of his trips. It felt good just to be able to vent to someone. Heather listened intently, nodding and asking the occasional question for clarity. They arrived at the picnic table and sat down together on a bench, sides touching, Heather's hand on his thigh as their fingers stayed entwined.

"Ravenwood was brutal in New Bern from what they told me. Ted probably remembers more, but my friend Susie told me that they came door to door asking people for food and taking whatever fuel they had without even asking. Most people hid their fuel after that, even burying it in their backyards. They shot and killed a few people trying to protect their homes and families."

"I don't trust them. They were up to no good long before the bombs went off." Jake added. He didn't want to think what would happened if they hadn't stopped Ravenwood from entering Jericho on the bridge that day. They had barely made it through the winter with the little food that they did have.

"Were they the ones from San Diego?" Heather asked, tilting her head as she looked at him. He remembered he had mentioned what happened there to her long ago, the day of their picnic up on the overlook. He hadn't talked much about it since then, the loss of Freddie was still painful.

"Yeah." Jake nodded. He began massaging the back of his neck, feeling the tension there. He was so full of stress lately, even more than he ever remembered while in hot zones abroad. Too much responsibility now lay on his shoulders. He wondered how his father had withstood it all those many years as mayor and the months after the bombs. He felt as if he was single-handedly trying to protect Jericho and save the world, though he knew that Rob Hawkins and Emily were working at it as well. And Heather and his mother and others here in Jericho were doing their best to help the town survive.

Heather climbed up to sit behind him on the table part of the picnic table. "Lean forward."

As he did, she moved behind him, her legs on either side of him, and started massaging his neck and shoulders. Her hands were warm and sensual as they gently kneaded his taut muscles. Her hands were strong, probably from working with tools so much of the time now and out at the Richmond farm. Jake closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. He tried to imagine what it would feel like to have those hands touching him, exploring his body without the barrier of clothing. "God, that feels good."

"So you think this is more proof of why we can't trust this government?" Heather asked him. She found a knot in his shoulder and began to working to release it.

Jake had to focus his thoughts to get back to the topic. Her touch was very distracting. "Yeah."

"And what are we going to do about it?" He heard the worry in her voice.

"I don't know." But I'm working on it, he wanted to add, but stopped himself. He and Hawkins were working on it. But Heather had said 'we' which brought sparked a feeling of pride within him. He wasn't alone in this. He wanted to tell her more, to fill her in with the rest of what he knew. But then his nightmare came back to him. People had been killed for what they knew. Hawkins had told him that he had found out that the sister of his former team member Chavez had been killed last month in a refugee camp in New Mexico, though it had been made to look like an accident yet reported as a random act of violence in the news. Hawkins suspected it had been a message for Chavez. Hawkins still had yet to find Chavez, though the government hadn't yet either. Both Chavez and Hawkins were on the Top Wanted list by the Cheyenne government.

"Do you think it will come to civil war?" Heather asked him.

"God, I hope not." Jake sighed, though more and more reports were sounding like it could, especially after Rob had told him that the East government had been moving west as well.

"What would Jack Bauer do?" Heather wondered aloud, her fingers massaging the spot where she had finally got the knot in his shoulder to release. "Probably kidnap the President and get him to do his bidding. Or try to infiltrate the government and take them down from the inside."

A chill went down his spine as he worried for a second that Heather knew more about what he was up to than he expected. He prayed that he didn't give anything away with her touching him like she was, but at least she couldn't see his face. He tried to think about anything he may have let slip in the past months. Had Emily said anything? No, he didn't think so. He was pretty sure the two of them still weren't talking much and he knew it was likely because of him. He barely talked to Emily except about business. She was still angry at him because of Jonah. But he needed to go and talk to her sometime soon, to fill her in on his visit with Hawkins. He had also heard that Emily had taken several of the women from Jonah's compound to live with her, which also bothered him. How could he look after Emily if she did fool-headed maneuvers like that? Eric had told him that one of the women had been spending a majority of her time at Bailey's flirting with the soldiers and local men. And another had been caught trying to break into the dispensary at the med center to steal what little remaining drugs they did still have. 

"I think you watched too much 24." Jake replied, needing to say something before he gave too much away. It wasn't the first time Heather had quoted the TV show. But Jake had to consider what he and Hawkins were doing was very similar, doing whatever it took to help the country and people they loved. He hadn't caught very much of the show, having been traveling most of the time, but some of his co-workers had had it and other shows on DVD that they often watched on their long trips. Too bad things didn't work out as fast and easy as they seemed to on TV.

"Well, we still need our heroes to save our country." Heather pulled him back against her, hugging him with her arms down his chest, her breath warm as it brushed his ear and the side of his face. Her body was soft against him, his own body aware of every inch where they touched She whispered. "If it's not too late."

Heather's words haunted him for days.

(To be continued...) 


	31. Chapter 31

Full Circle, Chapter Thirty One

"And on behalf of the city of Jericho, I now pronounce Jericho Windworks open for business." Mayor Gray Anderson announced and nodded at the line of men and women poised along side him. Heather, Ted, the mayor, Colonel Hoffman, and several Jericho town council men and women used their scissors to slice through the long red ribbon. Pieces of ribbon fluttered to the ground on the cement walkway leading up to the main double doors of the wind turbine plant. 

Cheers and clapping came from the small crowd that had shown up for the event. Heather's eyes met Jake's and caught the smile from Gail standing next to him in the crowd. Eric and Mary were standing nearby with Mimi and Stanley, clapping along with the rest. She knew that her friends had shown up on her behalf and was grateful. Today was going to be a busy day, yet they had had a good turnout for this eight o'clock ceremony and open tour of the plant. To her surprise, Emily had shown up with Major Williams and Heather recognized several of the women staying with Emily with her as well. Friends and families of the plant workers had shown up along with several reporters from Cheyenne and even a small group of soldiers from the outpost. Several men from Ravenwood served as security, keeping watch from the edge of the crowd and looking fairly bored.

Heather caught the pride in Jake's eyes and it touched her heart, until her mind kicked in and she remembered the hurt and confusion he had caused her this morning. She looked away, her heart aching. A chill went through her and she shuddered, trying to focus on the ceremony rather than worrying. But Ted glanced her way and he must have caught her frown.

"Congratulations, Jericho, for everyone's hard work and inspiration." Colonel Hoffman spoke. The colonel was in his dress uniform that included full medals and insignias. But he also wore a gun at his hip. Heather had overheard someone telling Ted that the colonel's insignias indicated that he had served in Operation Desert Storm as well as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Among his medals was a purple heart, distinguished service cross and bronze star. "The President has noticed what you have done here to restore power and getting back on your feet and is very grateful."

Colonel Hoffman's voice and demeanor had a way of making one pay attention. But despite that, Ted still leaned over toward Heather.

"You okay?" Ted quietly asked as they placed their scissors in a basket held by one of the town council women. 

Heather nodded, hoping he wouldn't ask more of her. She had thrown herself in getting ready for the ceremony this morning, despite the turmoil churning inside her. She should be happy today. All their hard work was finally paying off and now they were getting attention for it. 

Last week, they had finished up their final set up of the plant assembly lines and for the past two days, they had been preparing for the first turbine to come off the line. Jake had spent the past couple of days with her at the plant, helping clean up and prepare the place for today's ceremony, saying he wanted to watch the new charter system in action with the plant as a live example. She was pretty sure he had just been using it as an excuse to avoid City Hall and the fact that Ravenwood was moving into town. But he had been there for her when Eric came over to let them know that they were about the make it a major event to officially open the plant for business. Mayor Anderson had promoted the idea as a good way to kick off their Independence Day celebration. She had nearly panicked, fearing they wouldn't be ready, but Jake had been there to remind her to focus and just tell everyone what needed to be done. Now, the inside of the plant was clean and orderly, set up for tours and demonstrations on how the wind turbines and other metal goods were going to be built. 

The fourth of July, 2007 in Jericho, Kansas was a warm and clear day with a slight wind that now scattered the ribbon fragments across the concrete sidewalk. Several cameras continued to click, capturing pictures of the event. Reporters from Cheyenne had shown up that morning at the request of the Tomarchio administration who was eager to have good news stories of how communities had gotten back on their feet. Lt. Brady was serving as their guide around Jericho, giving them a tour of the town and several farms, pointing out the wind turbines and reluctantly going over the charter posted at City Hall. There was also a tour of the military outpost and even Jericho residents were being allowed to come out and visit with the soldiers and learn more about what the outpost was doing. There were many questions about the new camp being built along side the military outpost for Ravenwood as they moved into town. In barely two days, the military contractor had moved into Jericho and taken over the roadblocks and were even supplying security for this event today. Unlike the military, Ravenwood was also requesting offices in town for coordinating their efforts. She had heard Eric and Jake fighting about that yesterday. 

"And now, Heather and Ted, if you would do us the honors..." Mayor Anderson nodded at Heather and Ted.

Several young men from the crowd cheered for Ted and he waved at them to pipe down. Several of his friends had shown up, many of them that served on the Underground and wanted to pass on the news about this event on the ham radio network.

Mayor Anderson and Colonel Hoffman walked with Heather and Ted as they moved over to where the first turbine off the assembly line had been installed yesterday beyond the corner of the building. A tall metal stand supported the wind turbine and held it aloft over the roof of the office area of the plant. The turbine was not turning yet, being locked into place by the brake mechanism. This turbine looked different from the others in Jericho. The workers had found some old paint and painted it red, white and blue and all of the workers had signed it. The turbine represented the culmination of all their hard work over the past several months. They had spent weeks cleaning up the inside of the old airplane manufacturing plant, rebuilding the coal furnace, converting the old assembly lines and setting up supply lines for the materials they would need. The end result was this first wind turbine. 

Ted bent down and removed the brake assembly blocks from the bottom of the turbine stand and flipped the switch that would disengage the brake mechanism. He then locked the control console pad with the rudimentary key lock they had devised. Heather moved into position at the control box at its base and flipped the circuit breaker that enabled the connection between the power output from the turbine to the local electrical grid. Overhead, the wind turbine began to spin, slowly picking up speed and instantly, the colored Christmas lights strung across the front of the building, set up purposely for the event, lit up. There was a slight buzz as the nearby street light turned on and a chain of street lights, dark for almost a year now, lit up going down the road. Heather looked on in amusement as the lights normally dark during the day, turned on as the local power engineers had promised. John Philip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever began to play from a small stereo in the window. This had been staged for the event as well. It was a little dramatic, but the guys in the plant wanted to spice up the little ceremony and had worked late into the night last night stringing up the lights and making sure that the lights would all work. Heather saw most of the plant workers, a mixture of local Jericho residents, refugees from the last year, and a few volunteers from out of town, clapping along with the rest of the crowd and smiling proudly at the result of all their hard work. They had done it. They had been barely getting by on the few wind turbines they had made in New Bern. With the government still unable to get the power back on, now they would be able to keep adding to their own power as well as trade and sell turbines to other towns and businesses.

It had been the first official and successful production of the charter, with nearly forty people now working at the plant, both on the turbines, the windmill generators, and the production of various metal parts needed on the farms and in town to rebuild things lost or destroyed in the past year. Mayor Anderson continued speaking about what a difference the wind turbines had made to Jericho and requested that the plant start making more turbines to supply more stable power to the rest of Jericho and start selling them to nearby towns to help them as well. Gray Anderson was very good at making speeches, Heather noted though she seem to keep drifting off into her own thoughts, especially when she looked over the crowd and her eyes came to rest on Jake. Jake was now watching the mayor, his brown hair being mussed by the wind, but he often turned his head to scan the crowd, looking concerned, especially when he looked at the Ravenwood men. He had been so stressed lately, especially once Ravenwood had started moving into Jericho. Like many men and even the women, his gaze often strayed to the several women standing near Emily, the ones rescued from Jonah's compound. Heather had met most of them, but any new faces in town were often the focus of attention in Jericho. But it was Jake that distracted Heather today, especially after that morning.

In her heart, Heather was conflicted when it came to Jake. She had almost forgotten about his request to keep their relationship quiet from the public and the military until this morning when Jake had reminded her, especially now that Ravenwood was in town. It had hit her hard. They had been seen together in church or working at the plant or at the Richmond farm. And Jake had been there for her at the plant for the past two days. It didn't help that most of those in the plant already knew and considered them a couple. It was obvious despite their best attempts to look and act casual. As one of the workers had told her, the two of them just meshed so well. There were subtle touches, shared looks, quiet whispers, and the support they gave each other. The rare free time they did have, they usually spent together. 

She kept trying to think of the reasons why Jake wanted to keep their obvious relationship a secret. Was Jake losing interest in her? Was she just a fun distraction while he cooled his heels here in Jericho? She was a long-term relationship type of person. Maybe Jake wasn't. Maybe he just wanted to leave Jericho and his only ticket was with the military and new government, despite his misgivings about them. But it seemed contrary with the Jake she had come to know, or at least thought she knew. Jake seemed to be dedicated to Jericho, helping it survive and make it through this difficult time. She had watched him step up and fill the shoes of his father in the role as protector and leader of Jericho. Even Gail had noticed how Jake had settled down and become more serious in the past months and how everyone was looking to him now as their informal leader of Jericho. Like Heather, his mother worried about him on his trips away but said she trusted Jake to do the right thing, whatever he was up to. Heather wanted to have such strong faith. But Heather's worries were fueled by what she had overhead at Stanley and Mimi's wedding, and what Emily had told her. Jake was up to something, but it wasn't anything that he shared with her, or anyone else that she could tell. Except maybe Emily. 

She also worried that the two of them were drifting apart. Both of them had been so busy lately, between working on the charter, Jake with the military, Heather at the plant, and both of them at the farm and at the workshops, that they hadn't had much time together. Even Sunday, after Jake had gotten home late Saturday from his trip, they had gone to church but afterward had gone their separate ways, Jake to help Stanley on the farm while Heather had been busy with the rehearsals for today's holiday celebrations. The past two days had been the most time the two had spent together in a long time, even though it was working long hours at the plant. She didn't expect them to spend every hour together, but the work, stress, secrets and time apart was taking a toll on each of them and likely their relationship. Today was the first day in a long time both of them had off in a long time and Jake had promised to spend it with her, relaxing. As they were leaving the house and they saw a Ravenwood Hummer driving by, Jake stopped and told her that they needed to act as friends again, especially in public. And then Jimmy had walked up to talk to Jake as he walked her to the plant, interrupting her chance to talk to him about it. As Jimmy and Jake had talked about some issue at City Hall dealing with Ravenwood going through old police reports, Heather had been quiet, trying to take in what Jake had told her, especially in light of Ravenwood's arrival in town and Jake's reaction to it.

She wanted to talk to him, to plead with him to finally tell her what was going on, but the time never seemed right and he had requested that she trust him. But how far should that trust go? He had confided so much in her already, why not this? Maybe she could help him with whatever he was up to. Or maybe Emily was his help.

Heather's gaze traveled to where several Ravenwood men were managing security for the small event, foregoing their usual assault rifles she'd seen them usually carrying for holstered handguns, though they were keeping a close eye on the activities. Still, as they did Jake and Eric, they made Heather nervous, not just because of what she had heard about them from Jake and Eric, but also because of their seriousness and less than pleasant attitudes in how they were carrying out their jobs in Jericho. They seemed to be watching the women closely, especially the pretty ones, like Emily and the tall, beautiful blonde standing near her, one of the women rescued from Jonah's. Then again, the blonde had been attracting quite a lot of attention this morning. 

Gray had gone from talking about Jericho to the Fourth of July and what it meant,as a day of remembrance of the country they had once been part of. Heather always loved the Fourth of July, even since she had been a little girl and her parents and grandparents would take her to the parade in New Bern. Back then, she had been more interested in the candy, clowns and fireworks, but she still remembered her grandfather telling her the story of the Revolutionary War and how the United States of America came to be and why. As she grew older, she did her own research into history books and gained a greater respect for how the country had come to be. She wasn't nearly the history buff that Johnston Green had been, but history had been one of the many interests that she and Jake had in common. Now, it was hard to believe that all that history was changing again in such a dramatic fashion and to be alive when it was happening. Bombs had destroyed much of the nation and the country was divided and on the verge of Civil War yet again. The Cheyenne government had frowned on their Independence Day celebration, calling it obsolete, but Mayor Anderson had ignored them and went ahead and declared the day as a valid holiday and a day of rest and celebration for Jericho, Kansas. Yet still, Colonel Hoffman, his officers and several reporters from Cheyenne had come to their plant opening ceremony and were supposed to attend their parade and other festivities.

They had an entire day planned out for the celebration for those wanted to participate. It was turning into a reflective day of commemoration for the birthday of the United States as well as as day of remembrance to honor those who had died in the bombs and in the past year in Jericho. They were planning on using the day to educate the children about the history of the United States and how things were changing because of the bombs. For the past week, Heather and several teachers from the school had been practicing with the children to put on a very abridged version of the Revolutionary War and Civil Wars, to be ended by a reciting of the Gettysburg Address and the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution and singing America the Beautiful and a few other songs. They had struggled to make up the costumes needed, but thankfully several women in town were fairly creative. The Cheyenne government was also providing their own flyers and tiny new flags for their new government as well. Jake had noted that the military had supplied a customized version of history of how they saw the bombs to be shared. Their story ran along the lines that bad men with bombs had blown up many cities in the United States but the government in Cheyenne was working hard to bring things back to normal again. Heather recognized the propaganda for what it was, but had noticed that Jake was even more unhappy about it.

They had pulled out all the old decorations on Main Street and in addition to the parade and pageant, they had a full day's schedule planned, including a softball tournament, a baking contest and music in the small park just off Main Street. Many people were having picnics, and the Greens and Heather were planning on heading out to the Richmond farm in the afternoon for a picnic of their own. Those who hadn't had time before were now welcome to walk through City Hall and check on the progress report of their first several weeks of the charter and how it was working. There were reports and corrections to the rates and a list of requests to adjust parts of the charter. The reports, thankfully, were being slightly edited so that Cheyenne didn't learn exactly how well the charter was working out. Work on the farms and businesses had increased dramatically as people were getting paid for their work as well as their own land to start gardens to provide food for their families. Gail had organized the distribution of seedlings and other plants that had been started in the hot beds and greenhouses about town and sold them to families at the designated charter trade rate. Now, most families had their own plot of land for gardening, along with lessons on how to maintain them. Where most people used to brag about their kids, now people were bragging about how well their gardens were coming along.

Unlike Memorial Day where they had honored those who fought and died in the wars, today they were celebrating being alive and being able to survive despite the chaos in the rest of the country, giving thanks for their freedom and blessings and the success of the charter thus far. Farms were now finding themselves with additional hands, businesses had extra help and more ideas on how to remain productive in their new world and people were now able to trade for better food and goods for their families as they received credit for their work on the farms and elsewhere. Even parents were commenting how better things were now that the children had things to do, both in school and in workshops and helping with the farms. There was also enough time for summer leagues of soccer and baseball that the school and parents organized. 

"Heather," Mayor Anderson called her name. Heather hadn't heard a word he said the entire time. "Could you give a few words for the crowd? This has been your project and we're all in your debt for bringing power back to Jericho."

"Uh sure." Heather blushed and found herself the subject of many pairs of eyes. They hadn't really discussed any itinerary for this event. She had been so busy getting things ready, she hadn't considered anything like a speech. But she caught Jake smiling at her and it gave her strength. She cleared her throat and spoke up, her voice coming out stronger and more sure than she expected. "Thank you everyone for coming out today. But most of all, thank you to all the crew over there." She pointed over in the crowd where most of the workers were standing. "For all their hard work and effort that made this all possible. Let's give them a round of applause."

The crowd clapped and took a little while to quiet back down. When they did, Heather continued. "We have a lot of work ahead of us yet, and there's still many out there that still need power, but this is the start. Feel free to come inside and look around. We only ask that you stay back from the areas that are marked off, but please ask questions."

Ted stepped forward and took her hand in his. He raised his voice. "And thank you, Heather Lisinski, for making all this possible. You have no idea what a hard taskmaster she is!"

There were shouts of agreement followed by whistles and calls in the crowd, especially from the workers, followed by another round of applause and Heather blushed. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a look cross Jake's features but she wasn't sure what it was. 

"And to Ted Lewis, too!" She added, leaning playfully against her childhood friend, but her words were lost in the crowd. "He's really the one who put this all-"

Cries of dismay swept across the crowd and there were shouts. "Gun! Gun!"

Heather froze, her heart pounding with fear. Colonel Hoffman pulled out his gun and stepped in front of her, Mayor Anderson and Ted. 

Ted jumped in front of her as if to shield her, but Heather was able to watch over his shoulder as the crowd parted Two of the Ravenwood men ran through the opening. There wasn't anywhere to run, the front part of the plant being wide open. Several women screamed and people scattered while others crouched down, looking around wildly in alarm. One of the Ravenwood men tackled a woman in the crowd, slamming her to the hard cement sidewalk. Heather wasn't sure, but she thought it was one of the women staying with Emily now. But there was confusion and cries of alarm as the crowd drew back. In another part of the crowd, Jake and Eric and Stanley had cowered down protectively over the women with them. Jake gave her a brief terrified look, but then true to form, he was running into the middle of the fray, his gun leading the way.

* * *

Jake had stood watching the ceremony with a nervous eye. Ravenwood was here along with small group of soldiers and Colonel Hoffman, Major Williams and Lt. Brady. But the crowd had been mostly quiet and the ceremony had been moving along uneventfully, if not a bit boring as Gray Anderson rambled on. He tried to not stare at Heather, though it was hard. He was proud to see all her hard work finally coming to fruition. He loved the way she looked today, dressed up in a cool summer dress that hugged her curves and left her arms bare. It matched the color of her eyes. She had taken the time to put on a little makeup, and her brunette hair shined, her eyes were bright, her lips looked soft and kissable, and skin glowed in the early morning sunshine. He longed to touch her, especially since he had reinstated his hands off policy. He hadn't realized how obvious they had gotten in recent weeks until someone at the plant yesterday had teased him about how adorable the two of them were together. Now, that was going to have to stop. 

But at least today, Heather was getting the attention she deserved. If only he could be there publicly with her to show his support and how much she meant to him. But once again, he had seen the light go out in her eyes earlier today only to be replaced by confusion and hurt when he had reminded her that they needed to remain casual like friends today and from now on in public. He had dragged his feet on reminding her until this morning when he no longer had the choice. It made his heart ache, and once again, he had been tempted to tell her the truth, to tell her what he had seen in his nightmares and had happened to all those who knew about the terrorist plot. But then he would have to go into the whole story and probably admit that he was hiding a nuclear bomb just out of Jericho. Would she think he was crazy for pursuing this whole conspiracy plot with Hawkins? Would she just think he was screwing up as he often worried about? It was a whole can of worms that he didn't want to get into, not today. Fortunately, Jimmy had come along and saved him from his temptation. The things Hawkins was planning, both infiltrating the government and trying to hack into their computer systems to find out more information, were starting to scare Jake. What would they do if they were caught? What would this military do if they found out how much Jake knew? Would they hold Heather hostage? Would men come in the middle of the night to kill him, Heather and his family, as they had done to the others from Hawkins' team? No, he was right in keeping the information to himself, no matter how much Heather meant to him. He had to protect her. Heather had too much on her mind already. He didn't need to worry her further.

He had spent the last two days at the plant, helping her and Ted and the many other plant workers get ready for today. He had enjoyed the hard labor, often lifting and moving things and learning how the whole assembly process was going to work. His ribs and back were paying for it today, reminding him that he had gotten shot last week. It had amazed him how much Heather and Ted had done, converting the old airplane parts plant into a working facility for making more of the wind turbines. It also gave him the chance to see how well respected Heather was, how the workers frequently came up to her to ask for her advice and decisions, and how she kept their entire efforts moving forward despite having to hurry up and get ready for today. How she kept everything organized and working was beyond him. It reminded him a lot of how his mother used to organize large charity events and other activities at the school when he and Eric had been kids. He had seen the way men looked up to her and respected her, both her technical skills and knowledge and the way she got people to work together. He envied her easy-going, can-do nature and wondered what in the world she saw in such a screwup like him. He didn't have any real skills other than his underutilized pilot skills and knowing how to use a gun and drive trucks. At least now, he had his work for the military and charter to keep him busy and looking useful. If things ever did return to normal, would Heather still want someone like him? And what was he going to do if he did get a job working for the Cheyenne government?

He had gone out to the military outpost yesterday and indeed had found it much changed in the week since he had been there. There more barrack tents and a number of areas set up for training soldiers. There were more soldiers coming in and out of the outpost as they went through training. He had found Lt. Robbins too busy to meet with him, though Major Williams was there continuing his investigation of terrorist activity and trying to sift through the reports from the ongoing searches the military was still doing. Colonel Hoffman had been out overseeing the loading and packing of the convoy of trucks scheduled to leave this week for Fort Riley when Jake found him. Colonel Hoffman had listened to his request for a job in Cheyenne and only said that he would continue to look into it. It didn't leave Jake with much confidence, but it looked like the colonel was rather busy and distracted. 

Jake had his own suspicions for their delay, likely due to their uncertainty about what Jake was really up to on his time away. Jake hadn't had any more concrete information about Hawkins to give them since that cabin he had taken them to in May. Hawkins had told him that they had been close to catching him recently and had started trying to track his potential movements and activities starting with Jericho. Hawkins had had to change jobs, switching to late night maintenance job at one of the government buildings in Cheyenne. Major Williams had come back to Jericho last week to do another sweep of interviews, including talking to Jimmy and his wife, and Eric. Jake wondered how much involvement the major was going to have now if Ravenwood was going to take over the investigation in this area. The major had asked Jake about where he had been on his trip away and Jake had said he was out checking several hunting cabins and old trucking roads for signs of Hawkins. Fortunately, the major had let on that they had suspected that Hawkins had been working for a trucking company and Jake had promised to follow up some leads he knew from working for Jonah and based on records they had found at Jonah's compound on companies shipping goods to Cheyenne. It would give him a little more breathing room for now, especially when he took more trips. Jake wondered if they were waiting for him to come up with more concrete information on Hawkins before offering him a job. But at least the delay would give him time to slow down and regroup. These things took time, Hawkins was always telling him. He just needed to be patient, something he had never been good at, but was slowly learning, especially when it came to Heather.

His eyes followed Heather as Mayor Anderson rambled on about the benefits of wind power and what a difference it had made in Jericho. Next to him, his mother, Eric and Mary, Stanley, Mimi and other Jericho town residents stood together. On the edge of the crowd was Emily and Major Williams and a few of the women Emily had taken in from her father's compound. They seemed to be doing well, according to what his mother had been saying, though they still had some issues to deal with. He couldn't imagine what they had gone through, but Dr. Kenshy said that none of them would have any long term physical effects from their captivity and treatment. Emotionally, that was another issue all together. 

Around the edge of the crowd, several men from Ravenwood were serving as security. He wasn't sure they had been needed for this event, but Larry Stevens had said that they had insisted on it, especially with the reporters and military officers present. The last thing the government needed was bad publicity. And there were still rumors that New Bern was eager to seek revenge for what had happened and this would be an opportune moment to get attention. He didn't see Goetz here, thank goodness but Eric told him Goetz was working mostly at City Hall going over interview tapes and other documentation in their search for Hawkins. Jake only hoped that he would find nothing. 

The mayor asked Heather to speak a few words and she did, thanking the plant workers and getting everyone to applaud. Then Ted took her hand and got everyone to cheer for Heather. 

His attention was caught by a blur of motion entering the crowd and people crying out in alarm. Men in uniform rushed into the crowd yelling "Gun! Gun!"

It was Ravenwood. Cries of panic and yells of alarm echoed through the crowd as people ran away from the men running through them. Jake instinctively moved to protect his mother, trying to move between where the Ravenwood men were heading and his mother. He gently pulled his mother toward the ground, sheltering her with his body and saw Eric doing the same for Mary and Stanley for Mimi. He glanced up and saw Colonel Hoffman pulling out his gun as he jumped in front of Gray, Ted and Heather. The thought hit him that someone could be going after Heather. What if they had found out about the bomb and how much Heather meant to him? The image of Heather being shot flashed through his mind and he nearly called out her name to warn her. He instinctively reached for his own gun, hidden under his dress shirt, tucked into the back of his pants. Who else could someone be gunning for? Colonel Hoffman? Mayor Anderson? Him?

There was a scream ten feet down from him and the crowd pulled back enough so Jake could see one of the men tackling someone... one of the women that had been with Emily, the tall blonde. They both hit the ground hard as the other man pulled her purse away from her arm scattering the contents all over the ground. Lipstick, a hair brush, a makeup compact, pens and a notebook, a packet of tissues and indeed a gun spilled out across the ground., the gun skidding across the concrete of the sidewalk with a metallic hiss. The woman tried to push the man off by rolling to the side, but the man slammed her hard back against the ground, grabbing both of her arms and yanking them over her head to pin her.

Underneath the man, the blonde struggled and cursed, kicking at the man holding her down. The other Ravenwood man, still on his feet, reached down and picked up the gun. It was an older model gun, small and compact, but still lethal. What had the woman been doing with the gun? 

"Get off me!" the blonde yelled, still kicking and fighting back. The woman wore a tight fitting blouse and shorts that looked vaguely familiar, yet Jake thought they looked better on her than they had on Emily. 

The Ravenwood man didn't seem to eager to get up. 

Jake climbed to his feet and closed the few feet between them, his gun ready in his hand. With his free hand, he yanked the Ravenwood man up by the collar and instantly, found a handgun from the other man in his face.

"Stay out of this, Green." The man with the gun told him.

Great, all of Ravenwood seemed to know who he was now. He often got cold looks as he passed them on the street. He could only imagine what tales Goetz and the others had told about him. Jake let the other man go, but held his own gun ready just in case.

The man on the ground with the woman finally let her go, rolling off to one side but not before the woman landed a a well placed knee to his groin. The man groaned with pain and Jake naturally flinched, knowing what that blow could feel like.

Switching his gun to his offhand, Jake ignored the gun in his face and reached a hand down to the woman as she lay sprawled on the ground, long legs out in front of her.. She glanced up at him, blinked as if seeing him for the first time, and took his hand. Jake easily pulled her to her feet, noticing how light and thin she was. And how tall. She was wearing low heels yet still met him eye to eye as she regained her balance, steadying herself as she held onto his arm.

"Thank you," She said to him, hastily brushing off and putting her clothes in order. 

It was then he got a good look at her. She was beautiful. He instantly took in the long ash-blonde hair, blue eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips. She definitely was not from around her. Then he remembered that she had been at Jonah's compound. He had seen her from a distance today in the crowd, but close up, he noticed that she stuck out in Jericho like a sore thumb, not just in looks but how she gracefully moved and held herself. He could see a number of men giving her an appreciative look, but Jake remembered that she had also had a gun. Beautiful and dangerous... maybe. What if she had a grudge against someone in Jericho, or the military or someone else in the crowd? What if she had been going for Heather? Constantino couldn't be happy with Heather if he knew about her statement she had given a few months ago. Constantino was still in prison in Cheyenne, last he heard, but that didn't mean he didn't still have friends.

"What the hell is going on here?" Colonel Hoffman strode into the crowd, apparently not bothered that someone may have pulled a gun, possibly aiming for him.

On the ground, the man had stopped groaning and holding himself, but the other Ravenwood man still pointed his gun at Jake and the woman. In his free hand, he held the gun that had come from the woman's purse. "She was pulling a gun out of her purse. Sir."

The colonel's eyes went from the Ravenwood man, to the woman, to Jake, then down to the ground where the contents of the woman's purse, sans gun, were still all over the ground. "Are you sure about that?"

"Hell, I was just reaching for a tissue." The woman said. She had a light voice, not quite sultry, and her accent was slight, almost Southern sounding. "You didn't need to deck me."

Someone must have turned the music off as silence fell across the crowd. People had started to relax now that Colonel Hoffman had taken charge. 

The conspiracy gears in the back of Jake's mind spun into overdrive for a moment as he considered that the Eastern government could have set this woman up to come in and cause problems, even putting her in Jonah's compound for a cover. Shaking his head, he ruled it out, chalking it up to spending too much time with Hawkins. He was starting to see plots and conspiracies everywhere now.

"And what were you doing with a gun in your purse?" The Ravenwood man with the gun asked, still aiming his gun at the woman.

The woman confidently replied. "Protection. Shouldn't all women be carrying one nowadays? I was told that was a good idea, even in this small town."

There were several nods of agreement from the crowd around them. Most people were watching the scene with a mix of worry and confusion and a few talking in hushed whispers. Jake's gaze swept the crowd then over to make sure Heather was still all right. She stood behind Ted still, looking worried. Gray Anderson stood a few feet away and he caught his mother whispering something to Mimi. Eric was giving him the standard brotherly look of concern and disapproval. His brother wasn't going to come to his aide on this one. 

Jake wondered where the woman had got the gun, but knew that Emily had a couple at her house now in case they were ever needed. He never liked the idea of her staying alone in that big house, but he knew her neighbors helped keep an eye on her and her house. Though they all looked out for each other nowadays in Jericho, most people now had a gun or two. She had likely let the woman staying with her borrow one.

"Put your guns away." Colonel Hoffman ordered the Ravenwood men and then looked at Jake before turning to the woman. "Are you all right, ma'am?" 

Jake casually returned his gun to its usual spot in the waistband of his pants. The Ravenwood man holstered his own gun.. 

"I am." She nodded, but Jake saw that she was a bit shaken. 

Jake saw Emily moving forward.

"She's one of the women from the compound. She's been staying with me for the past week." Emily explained to the colonel, not showing the least bit of concern to be addressing the colonel. Most people addressed the colonel with a touch of fear mixed with respect. Even Jake felt nervous talking to the officer.

"And Jake, what's your involvement in this?" Colonel Hoffman asked him, and Jake suddenly found himself the attention of all the eyes in the crowd.

"I was just coming to help. That man," Jake pointed at the man slowly getting back on his feet. "Wouldn't let her go."

"They were just doing their job," Major Williams stated from over behind Emily. Jake saw Lt. Brady standing next to him, looking different as the rest of them since they all wore their dress uniforms today.

"There was no reason to be so harsh." Jake objected. Even if he had his own suspicions about this woman, it didn't mean he had to agree with Ravenwood's behavior.

"What? We should have tapped her on the shoulder instead?" The man who had tackled her said. His voice and expression showed his discomfort.

"You didn't have to body slam her!" Jake yelled back, getting in the man's face.

"Jake!" Eric had stepped up and gave him a warning look.

"Just doing my job." He sneered back. 

"And your job is assaulting women?" Jake retorted. A few murmurs passed through the crowd at his words, a few sounded like they agreed with his concern. 

"Enough!" Colonel Hoffman raised his voice and a heavy silence filled the air. The wind gusted over them. Overhead, he could hear the new wind turbine spinning in the wind. The colonel turned toward the Ravenwood men. "I want a full report on this on my desk by the end of the day."

"Yes'sir." The men saluted the colonel. Jake knew that they didn't need to since they weren't really soldiers, so he was pretty sure they were just doing it for show. The smirk on Major Williams face confirmed what Jake was thinking.

"And Ms. Sullivan, please get your lady friend's statement on what happened too." The colonel nodded at the woman next to Jake.

"You got it." Emily smiled sweetly at the colonel. Jake wondered how much into her role she had been getting and how much of it was just Emily being Emily.

"And Jake, let Ravenwood do their jobs. That's what they are here for." The colonel chastised him.

Jake saw the looks of satisfaction on the Ravenwood men's faces. Jake didn't like being publicly reminded of Ravenwood's position here in town. He and his brother, and Jimmy and Bill had been managing security up until now. He stood up a little straighter and tried not to show how annoyed he was. He never took disapproval or reprimands well. That had gotten him thrown out of the military.

Colonel Hoffman ordered. "Give the lady back her gun."

The man still holding the gun looked like he was going to object, but slowly handed over the small handgun to the woman. She took it, double checked the safety and verified that there were still bullets in it. She did so hesitantly and Jake got the feeling she really wasn't comfortable at handling a gun. He had seen Heather act the same way during their gun lessons. It bothered him that women had to be carrying around guns for their own protection. But after what this woman and the others had no doubt gone through, he couldn't blame them. 

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we can't be too careful nowadays." Colonel Hoffman told the woman.

"I understand." She replied as she put the gun back in her purse. Jake saw people visibly relaxing now that all the guns were put away.

"Dismissed." The colonel nodded at the Ravenwood men, though Jake wasn't sure he had the authority to order the men, though he had seen the military in charge of contractors before. Maybe with this whole new branch of Homeland Security of this new government, the military had been given supervision of the contracting firms. Colonel Hoffman turned to face most of the crowd. "Just a misunderstanding, folks. My apologies. Let's get this show back on the road."

As Colonel Hoffman went back to join Gray Anderson near the front of the plant, the Ravenwood men walked back through the crowd, the crowd parting to give them a wide berth. They returned to where they had been standing before, just on the edge of the crowd. Their eyes rested on Jake and the woman, glaring.

"Everything okay?" Jake heard Gray asking the colonel.

"Damn overprotective show offs." Jake muttered under his breath. He glanced over and saw that Heather was okay, with Ted still standing in front of her. Heather gave him a worried smile and he nodded. Gray was talking with Colonel Hoffman and Major Williams, no doubt getting an update on what had just happened and why. He saw his brother pulling Lt. Brady aside to talk. Jake hoped he was giving him an earful about Ravenwood.

"What was that?" The woman asked him. She crouched down, picked up her purse and began collecting the items that had fell from it.

'Nothing," Jake bent down to help her, picking up the tissues and notepad and handing them to her. He saw Emily picking up several items as well "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Thank you again. I didn't realize reaching for a Kleenex was a major offense around these parts."

A voice spoke from overhead. "They hit you rather hard. The m-m-med center is just over there if you need some m-m-medical-" One of the reporters in the crowd jumped in, stammering as he clamored for the woman's attention. He handed her the hairbrush he had picked up. 

"I'm okay, really." She gave him a grateful, but aloof smile as she took the item from him. Jake noticed that she had carefully manicured fingernails and long slender fingers. "Thank you."

The reporter backed off. Beyond them, Jake heard Gray getting the ceremony back on track. Ted's voice carried over the crowd telling them about the plant and what they would see inside. Jake lost track of what he was saying. Heather was safe, as were the rest of them. He hated how quickly he had jumped to conclusions, his worry making him skittish, his dislike for Ravenwood making him act before thinking. Stop, think. listen... that was what Hawkins had been trying to teach him.

"Here." Emily handed the woman the items she had picked up and the woman added them to her purse and closed it. "Never thought my old purse would get so much action today."

"Sorry about that," the woman apologized to Emily.

"It's okay." Emily said then gave Jake an angry look before walking back into the crowd to stand beside Major Williams, who was talking with Colonel Hoffman and one of the reporters.

"I thought most everyone carried guns nowadays." The woman said to Jake. 

"Well, some do. " Jake replied, feeling the comforting hardness of his own gun against his back. The gun barely every left his side now.

"Even the women?"

Jake thought of the defense and gun safety classes they had. He had been trying to encourage Heather to carry a gun, but she still didn't like the idea, even though she carried her backpack of tools most of the time now. A gun could easily fit in her backpack. He would need to work on that with her, especially with Ravenwood in town now. His mother knew how to shoot thanks to their father, but he knew she hated guns and knew he couldn't convince her to carry one unless it was her own idea. "Especially the women."

"I took the gun safety class first thing last week." The woman said. "Now, I don't go anywhere without a gun."

Jake raised his eyebrows at that. The woman had only been in Jericho for just over a week. But all of these women had been through a lot. He could only guess that they would be afraid and want to be able to defend themselves after what had happened. At least she had taken the time to take their class on it. They had weekly classes on self-defense and gun safety at the school. 

The woman said. "You must be Jake."

"Pleased to meet you..." he let his voice trail off in the unspoken question. 

"Angela," She held out her hand for Jake to shake. "Or Angie as everyone calls me."

Jake shook her hand and felt the long, slender fingers in his grasp. Despite how tall and thin she looked, she did have a steady handshake.  
Angie smiled at him. "I wanted to thank you for what you did, I just never had the chance. Emily said you were out of town."

"Thank the military. They did all the work."

"Not from what everyone is saying. You set it all up and they captured all those men, and stopped Jonah and that bastard Trace before they got away."

"People still died." Jake said, thinking of Jonah and Trace.

"Well, that is bound to happen and Trace deserved what he got, for what he was doing to us. Poor Tammy will never be the same. And Jenny is not coping well. But overall they didn't treat us too bad, better than some of the places I'd been in the past months."

"They didn't hurt you?" Jake asked. He didn't notice any obvious bruises or injuries, even after she got tackled like she did. He had asked his mother about how the women were doing and she would only said they were doing okay.. Like any man, he knew well enough to not ask too much, not wanting to hear the actual details of what they had gone through. He could pretty well guess, especially after what had happened to Heather and some of the stories he had heard in recent months about how women were being treated.

"Depends on what you call hurt. I'm tough. My mama always told me I'm a survivor. I did what I had to to survive. I'm not proud of it, but it kept me alive."

"I'm sorry you went through that." Jake heard the unspoken message in her words. Something about this woman reminded him a bit of Maggie and a bit of Heather, though the thought of Heather having to do what this woman probably did to survive terrified him. 

Angie looked out toward the plant. Most of the people were starting to head inside. "Look, I better get going. I promised Emily I'd help her set up for the party."

"Party?"

Angie explained. "Yeah, she's having a little get together, invited a bunch of the military and a few others, said we all could invite a guest of our own if we wanted. I don't recall if you were invited, so would you like to come or do you have plans of your own?"

He recalled he had overheard his mother talking about Emily's party with Mary earlier. He had mostly tuned them out at the time, more concerned about Heather and how nervous she was about today and having to change their public relationship yet again. Jake glanced over at where Emily was talking with Major Williams and Lt. Brady. If she was having a party, then Major Williams and maybe even Colonel Hoffman would be there. Or others he might be able to get to know better and find out more information. He looked over to where Heather was explaining how the wind turbine worked to a reporter who was making hasty notes in a steno pad. He had promised Heather that they would take the day off and spend it together today. He was torn. Hawkins was running dry on leads and was hoping Jake could get that job with the Cheyenne government and start things moving again. Maybe Jake could make a good impression and make some progress toward working for the military and maybe learning more about what the military had been up to lately.

"What time is the party?" Jake found himself asking. His gut was telling him that Angie was just as he suspected, just carrying the gun for protection. He should probably find out more about her, just in case. Hawkins was teaching him to suspect everyone nowadays, he inwardly sighed to himself. 

"Starts at two, but you could come early to help set up." Angie gave him an inviting smile.

He glanced over to where Emily was talking with Major Williams. They were holding hands as Emily pointed out something on the horizon as she talked to him. He wondered what Emily would think if he showed up to her party. She was still not speaking with him unless she had to. He was pretty sure she wouldn't turn him away, especially if he explained his reasoning to her. 

Maybe he could spend the rest of the morning with Heather at the festivities downtown, then head to the party instead of going to the Richmond's right away.

"I dunno about that, but maybe I'll stop by." He said, giving her his best dazzling smile.

"Good, see you there then. I'll let Em know." Angie walked off and rejoined Emily and the major. The major smiled at Angie as she walked up and touched her on the arm as if tasking if she was okay. Emily nodded at Angie and the three of them began walking away toward town.

He glanced over to where Heather was showing a reporter how the wind turbine worked. Her eyes met his in a look of concern before going back to to answer a question that the reporter asked.

People were walking past him as they followed the crowd forward. Several asked if everything was okay now, if they had anything to worry about and he reassured them. A few patted him on the back, thanking him for stepping up while others gave him a wide berth, a look of concern and mild disbelief in their eyes. He knew the looks well. Jake Green had done something foolhardy again, they seemed to say.

He heard the voice of one of the plant workers talking to the crowd as they entered the office area of the plant explaining the history of the plant and how it used to be an airplane parts manufacturing facilities back in the eighties. All the windows in the place were open but Jake felt a wave of heat coming from the building on the breeze. He wondered what it was going to be like this summer trying to keep the plant working in the heat of summer without air conditioning, just another luxury they were going to have to do without thanks to the bombs.

Several people passed by Heather and spoke to her as they walked by, and Heather greeted them and smiled. His Heather, he reminded himself, despite having to hide that fact right now. He saw Ravenwood still glaring at him. His heart ached. It was going to be a long, hot summer.

* * *

"You did great." Jake smiled down at her. He lay his hand on her shoulders and gave her a light squeeze before moving away out of her personal space. A very impersonal gesture and Heather was reminded that they were out in public again with Colonel Hoffman, Lt. Brady and a number of soldiers and Ravenwood still present. 

Jake was back to Hands Off Jake, got it, Heather told herself. True to form, Jake had gotten involved in the fight in the crowd over the woman with the gun. She had seen him talking with the blonde woman he had rescued. Her name was Angie from what Heather remembered. Another blonde, like Emily. And quite attractive. Even Ted had noticed and asked who she was.

"Thanks." Heather replied, putting a lid on her emotions. "What was that gun incident all about? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, just a misunderstanding." Jake looked sheepishly away.

"Ravenwood at it again?" Heather asked, knowing how Jake disliked the contractors. There had already been a few problems since the company had shown up on Monday. 

"Yeah, but let's not talk about it here." Jake said, nodding to where one of the Ravenwood men was watching them.

Heather saw that most of the crowd was straggling into the plant, including most of the reporters and Colonel Hoffman. She should be there to help show everyone around. Ted was talking to the reporter that she had just been talking to, but the reporter looked like he was about to go into the plant. Mayor Anderson was talking to Lt. Brady down near the front of the plant. She saw Eric, Mary, Gail, Stanley and Mimi heading toward them. 

"That reporter follow everything you told him?" Jake asked, changing the subject. He often teased her when she got technical about how a wind turbine worked.

"About one word in ten, I think." Heather laughed. She had started giving the reporter the full technical overview, then had backed off to a third grade level when she realized he hadn't been following her. The reporter nodded at Ted and headed into the plant. Ted walked over to Heather and Jake. 

Eric shook Ted's hand as he walked up. 

"You both did great!" Mary exclaimed, giving Heather a hug from the side.

"Thanks!" Heather replied, gladly returning her friends hug. Over the past months, Mary had listened to Heather rattle on about many of the challenges she had faced trying to get the plant running.

"New turbine looks good." Eric said, shielding his eyes to look up at the turbine spinning above them. . 

"Think I could get one of these for the farm?" Stanley asked as he and Mimi walked up. 

"That'll be 5000 credits," Jake replied, referring to the charter credit system. With his fruits and vegetables to trade, Stanley's farm was probably going to make about 300 credits a month until the fall crops were harvested. That was after the credits for those helping him were accounted for. 

Stanley looked at Jake like he wasn't sure if he was kidding or not. "All right, all right. So give me a few months."

"I think the tour is starting," Mary pointed at the crowd that had moved inside.

"We'll get a tour another time," Mimi said. "I promised Bonnie I'd help her get ready for the pageant."

Bonnie had taught sign language to a group of children who were going to sign the words for the songs they were planning on singing today. They had put together costumes from various times in U.S. History to wear. 

"See you guys later then?" Eric asked.

"Absolutely." Mimi answered. 

Eric and Mary headed inside the plant. Heather noticed how Eric draped his arm around Mary's shoulders and was reminded that she and Jake couldn't do that anymore. 

"Uh, I might be a little late." Jake glanced at Heather before looking away.

"Jake?" Heather looked at him, a sinking feeling settling inside her.

"Well," Jake began hesitantly. "Angie asked me over to the party at Emily's."

Heather had heard about the party Emily was throwing. It was an invite-only affair. The military officers and soldiers had been invited along with a number of the couples and families that moved within the upper social circle of Jericho. It had been the gossip around town all the past week on who would be getting an invite, especially since someone had seen the supplies that had been arriving for it from the military base. In the past, Emily had often invited Heather to the parties she and Roger threw or let her come along with them to some of the other parties in the area. Heather had a feeling she wasn't going to get invited anymore.

"You got invited to the hottest party in town?" Mimi looked surprised.

"I thought we were having the hottest party in town," Stanley interjected.

Mimi didn't miss a beat. "Only if you break the windmill generator again so we don't have power for the refrigerator and fans."

"Ouch." Stanley faked looking hurt. Heather had had to fix their windmill generator several times in the past couple of weeks.

"Well, if you'd rather go to that..." Gail said in a disapproving tone to Jake, glancing briefly at Heather. Gail had been there at breakfast when Jake had said he had been looking forward to spending the day with Heather. They had talked about going out riding at the ranch after the parade and pageant and before the picnic.

"I'd rather not, but I better. I need to talk to Colonel Hoffman if he comes and I'd like to see how some of the people who will be there feel about the charter." Jake answered. "I'll come over to Stanley's as soon as I can."

"For dinner?" Gail asked. 

"Yeah."

"Well see you downtown in a bit then." Stanley said as he turned to go. 

"And don't forget, Heather," Mimi told her. "Bonnie said to remind you to bring those speaker wires."

When the speaker system they had set up for the pageant wasn't enough, Heather had offered to help set up additional speakers and their wiring so that the deaf students and Bonnie could feel the rhythm of the music on the stage. Several guys had already set up the speakers, but Heather had had had to patch together additional wires on Sunday to be used for them. After the plant tour, she was planning on stopping at the Green house for the things she needed for the pageant before they went downtown. 

"Will do," Heather said as cheerfully as she could, though her heart wasn't quite in it. She saw Mimi giving her a look that said her lack of enthusiasm had been noted. But Mimi gave her a smile as she and Stanley waved and walked away, Mimi's arm in Stanley's. Heather noted how wonderful the two looked together and was envious.

"You're welcome to join us too, Ted." Gail offered. Heather was glad that Gail had jumped in to fill the awkwardness that Jake had created. She could feel the tension growing. 

Ted smiled, that silly boy smile of his. "Nah, I'm good. The guys finally got their network working. We're going to have an old fashioned Quake Deathmatch tournament."

Gail looked confused until Heather translated. "It's an old network computer game. They finally got enough working computers for it." Heather didn't know a lot of the gaming culture, but working with Ted over the past months, she had picked up a lot of the lingo, and the fact that many of his friends were having serious computer game withdrawal. Long ago, he had taught her how to play some of the games, but she had never been very good at it. 

"Ah." Gail nodded. "Well, you're always welcome to join us. And stop by for dinner sometime, too.."

"Sure thing, Mrs. Green."

"Gail." She corrected him. 

"Ma'am." Ted nodded, blushing and smiling that silly boy smile of his. 

"Now, let's go see this plant of yours," Gail said nodded and gave Heather a knowing look. She let Ted lead her into the plant, leaving Heather alone with Jake.

"Jake-" Heather protested as soon as they were out of earshot. Fortunately, most of the crowd had gone into the plant. A few of the Ravenwood men were talking by their Hummer and a group of soldiers were walking away, heading in the direction of the military outpost.

"Heather." Jake turned to her. "I know I promised that we'd spent today together. I'm sorry, but I need to do this."

"Need to?" Heather asked. She felt the several feet between them, a distance more than physical.

Jake was giving her his best puppy dog eyes. He didn't often do this to her and she found the lure hard to resist. When she didn't say anything, Jake continued. "I really should show up. I want to hear what's going on in town with the people who will be there and I've been out of touch too much lately."

She sensed that Jake wasn't being entirely truthful, but Eric had said that people were noticing that Jake wasn't around as much. Jake had worked hard to get everyone involved with the charter, input from as many people in town as he could. Gray Anderson and even Emily had worked hard to sell the charter these people, especially since so many resided in the Pines area. But the so-called upper class were always aloof, even since the bombs had gone off. They seemed to act as if the happenings in town, the struggles they went through on a day to day basis, the lack of food and power, and conflicts with New Bern and now the military were beneath them. 

But what was Jake up to now? Did he just fall for that gorgeous blonde he had just rescued? Or was he just trying to see Emily? Or was this somehow related to this so called plan he was working on with Emily and Robert Hawkins? But Jake had asked her to trust him and she was trying to. It was hard, especially now knowing that Emily was somehow involved, but Heather had yet to figure out how or why. Emily worked down at the outpost and even had gotten one of the women staying with her to start working there as well. But there was also something more bothering her about this.

She recognized the feeling, something she knew from her childhood, and from being a bit of an outcast due to being a preacher's daughter, and even more so in recent months since her circle of friends had changed. She was feeling left out. And worrying about Jake was making it worse. Was Jake growing bored with her as she thought he would? Had he missed being with Emily and the life he had had here before and was he just trying to get back to it? Emily's words still haunted her, that Jake always came back to her in the past. After this morning's reminder, the distance between her and Jake seemed to be widening. Maybe she just needed to give Jake the space he needed and see what happened, even if it broke her heart. She looked at him and said. "Okay."

Not waiting for him, she started heading into the plant, biting her lip to hold back tears.

"Heather!" Jake called behind her, but she walked fast and was inside the doors. She heard his footsteps catching up with her. "Heather, wait!"

The tour had just entered the floor area of the plant. She had time to catch up and help answer any questions though she wasn't as enthusiastic about showing off the plant anymore. It was fairly rudimentary anyway. What was she doing trying to act like this was some world class manufacturing facility? Sure they had cleaned the place up and set up the bare bones of an assembly line with rough equipment, much of which hadn't been used in over twenty years. The wind turbines they were going to make were simple compared to the real things she had seen elsewhere before. Even Cheyenne had wind farms. What would Colonel Hoffman really think about their quaint little plant?

A strong hand grabbed her wrist. Jake caught up with her and started dragging her in the direction of the offices. Unfortunately, everyone's backs was toward them and no one saw. 

"Let go of me, Jake." She yelled as quietly as she could at him, trying to break free of his grasp and walk back out into the plant. She didn't want to fight on this, not right now, not here. Her heart was already aching. 'Just go, Jake' she mentally willed to him. He hadn't been around this morning when they got ready for the ceremony. He didn't need to be here now. She didn't want to break down and be emotional in front of him, not right now, not when she wasn't sure what he was up to and where things stood between them.

He scooped an arm around her waist and pulled her through the doorway and into the office area and back into the corner by the door.

"Damn it, Jake!" Hurt changed to anger. She was tired of his behavior, of having to hide their feelings, of not knowing what was going on, of being lied to...

"'Damn it, Jake?' Did you just swear?" Jake stared down at her, incredulous. 

His arm was strong around her waist, his sinewy muscles holding her easily His touch was distracting. It didn't help that he looked handsome dressed up in a dress shirt and slacks today, something Gail had recommended that he wear instead of his usual jeans. He had shaved and combed back his hair with gel for once. His hair had gotten long in the past months, not that she minded. She loved running her fingers through his hair. She felt his warmth and smelled his aftershave mixed with the hint of his masculine smell. But she tried to not let it get to her.

"God damn right, I did!" She raised her voice, not caring who overheard, and lifted her chin as she glared at him. She so rarely swore and the words felt awkward, but she was angry. Even when something went wrong, the worst she ever said was 'darn it!' Jake liked to tease her about it. But she wasn't in the mood for his teasing. She glared at him and she saw a cascade of emotions cross over Jake's face... amusement, confusion, then something else, dark and hungry. 

Then his hands were sifting through her hair as he pushed her back against the wall, out of sight of the windows and doors. His lips came down and met hers, his hands cupping her chin, thumbs stoking her chin. He kissed her hard, demanding and wanting, saying with his kiss what he hadn't been able to do or say in public.

She raised her hands to push him off, feeling the anger racing through her body. Her hands pressed against the solid wall of his chest. But the kiss softened as she felt the passion flare between them. She knew she was lost, loving when he touched her like this, and started returning the kiss. The kiss went on, both of them hungry for each other, his tongue dancing with hers as they both took ragged breaths when they could. One of Jake's hands was still tangled in her hair, keeping her mouth against his, as his other hand roamed down over her chest, over her breast, cupping it lightly. His thumb stroked her hard nub through the cotton of her dress and she hated that her body responded so easily to his touch. They hadn't had much time for this either in the past weeks, with Jake being shot then going out of town. But two could play this game. Jake groaned as she reached out to pull his hips against her, cupping his rear with her hand. She liked the slacks he was wearing today, the thin fabric making it easier to feel the muscles of his backside. Her thumb found the outline of his semi-automatic gun tucked in the waistband of his pants. Trying to ignore it, she used her other hand to find the spot halfway up the side of his back that he loved when she touched him there. She felt him shudder and groan in response.

Voices talking came from just outside the open door. It sounded like Mayor Anderson talking about the salt mine. They both froze, trying to breathe quietly. Their eyes met. Jake's eyes were dark with passion and emotion. Both of them were breathing heavily. She looked away, reality coming back to her. She didn't want to relent on this, no matter how he tried to sweet talk her once again. 

The footsteps passed by the door and the voices faded away. Jake's hands drifted down around her shoulders to hold her in his arms. He caressed her back with one hand. She felt warm and safe in his arms.

"Heather." Jake said, his voice husky. He used one hand to make her look at him. She saw the sincerity in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Just tell me what's going on, Jake." Heather pleaded with him. 

Jake gave her a long searching look and looked like he might actually tell her something. A look of fear passed over his features and he stopped himself. His voice was a bare whisper. "I can't. I'm sorry. It's for your own safety and protection."

"But how? And why, Jake?" But the look of terror in his eyes frightened her. She had rarely seen Jake scared. Her heart trembled and it wasn't from passion this time. What made Jake so afraid? She swallowed hard.

"Did you know you're damn sexy when you're angry?" Jake chuckled down at her, tucking a few wayward strands of hair behind her ear.

He was changing the subject, in his usual way. She didn't reply this time. Jake took a deep breath as he stared at her, his eyes full of emotion, unspoken sentiments that she wished he would just say.

"Heather, I promise, I'll make it out to Stanley's." He said softly. "And the way its looking, I'll probably have a lot more free time in the coming weeks. We'll get back to working on us again, I promise. And those crazy projects of yours. "

She had a number of projects she had been hoping to work on once they got the plant operational. Most of them were to try and find alternative ways to preserve food and she had the idea of using some of the caves in the area to hide and store food where the government couldn't find it. But that would requiring finding ones that would be suitable for food storage and she wanted to organize a few people to go find ones that would serve their purpose. She also wanted to go on geology searches for materials such as sand, shale and limestone that could be used for making cement, glass and other materials. But Jake refused to let her go alone but had promised to take her some time, if they could only find the time. Maybe they would.

But Heather was going to need more than promises and kisses if he kept this up.

(To be continued...)  



	32. Chapter 32

Full Circle, Chapter Thirty Two

Windows.

As Jake Green watched the Fourth of July festivities in downtown Jericho, the words of a lesson Rob Hawkins had told Jake on his last trip came back to him.

_Think of the world as a room of windows. Each window, you can look outside and observe what's going on. But it's your choice on what to do. Do you sit and watch? Do you yell or talk to someone on the other side? Do you reach out and touch? Do you stay safe inside and let the world pass you by? Do you see an opportunity that you can use to your advantage on that other side of the window? Sit and watch first, but then decide on what do to. Do you go through and seize the moment to do something? Sometimes you don't always have that choice and you will get thrown or pulled out that window. Sometimes, you will see things that you don't like on the other side of that window. How you react and what you do is up to you. Can you turn something to your advantage? Can you look past the window to the horizon and see the longer goal? But most times, you can learn based on what you did and saw in other windows and make the right choice that will help you meet that horizon down the road._

Right now, Jake felt more like he was watching though a window as things progressed around him, wanting to be a part of what was going on, but all that he knew and was keeping inside him was weighing heavily upon his shoulders.

The Kansas sun was blazing hot in the sky, but that had done little to dissuade the residents of Jericho as they participated in the small Independence Day parade through town, complete with the high school marching band, clowns, and horse-drawn decorated wagons instead of the usual cars. Someone had even set up their old fashioned car to be pulled by their horses since there wasn't enough fuel to spare even for the old cars. People had gotten creative with their lack of resources and were still able to make the day festive, with red white and blue decorations and flags everywhere. United States flags waved in the wind from many wagons and carried by children and adults alike. There was a few flags from the new Cheyenne government but Jake was amused since it was hard to tell the difference between it and Old Glory. The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts clubs walked along together in uniform with their leaders. 4-Hers had come out riding their horses and a few leading their pet dogs and other animals that had survived thus far. People waved to the crowd and the crowd watching from the sidewalks waved back. Even the military veterans had shown up in force for the parade and the presentation of the flags.

The parade ended in front of City Hall where they paused to present the flags, the Kansas state flag, the United States flag, and the New America flag replacing the highest honor now, something Gray had agreed to. The current military had declined their request to perform the presentation of the flags, so the military veterans were doing it instead in a mismatch of old uniforms. Jake decided that he liked it better, knowing it meant more to these people. The United States was no more, though it was hard to tell on this day of celebration. Jericho, Kansas hadn't given up totally yet, and for that Jake was proud. As he stood with Eric, Mary, Heather and his mother, he longed to be able to touch and hold Heather at that moment, knowing that all of them were working hard to keep their community surviving. Again, his self imposed emotional distance was hurting him as much as he knew it was hurting Heather. He still saw it in the occasional glance they shared. A moment of silence was held for all those they had lost in the last year. As Taps began to softly play and echo in the distance off the buildings, Jake took his mother under his arm, kissing her softly on the cheek. Tears streamed down Gail's cheeks and he felt his own tears gathering in his eyes. He saw quite a few nods and sad smiles and understanding in their direction. Jericho had not forgotten his father either. But hope was renewed as the band began to play the Star Spangled Banner and a loud chorus of voices sang the lyrics.

_Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light_  
_What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?_  
_Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight_  
_O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?_  
_And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,_  
_Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there._  
_Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave_  
_ O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?_

But was it really free? Jake knew the answer to that. When he watched people glancing around at the military present, he knew that many others felt the same way. He had even heard a few casual comments along the same line with several people asking him if the military and Ravenwood needed to be here. For years, this same Independence Day ceremony had taken place in Jericho. But now, it was touched with sadness and the fear of things drastically changed in their country. The news they heard over the radio and at town hall meetings hinted at how much of the country was being controlled by the government and its military for the sake of rebuilding and returning things to normal, but for how long? There was also news about the constitutional convention though obviously sanitized to sound better than it likely was. Jake heard even more thanks to the Underground. They were writing a new constitution for their new country, but it was being written by a few people behind closed doors with delegates hand picked by the president. One delegate partial to the Underground was providing alarming news about the things going into it, including giving most power to the federal government and limiting the rights of the people and press. What they were coming up with didn't sound like much for freedom. The presence of the military and now Ravenwood was proof of that. Even though Jimmy and Bill were out and about keeping eye on on things as usual, Ravenwood men could be seen about downtown keeping watch on the festivities today so far, carrying handguns instead of their usual assault rifles.

_Windows_.

Jake stood back and watched with amusement at the pageant that Heather and the other teachers and parents had put together. They had set up the stage among the trees just beyond City Hall in the shade of several tall oak trees. Rows of chairs had been set up and filled quickly leaving standing room only. His mother, Eric, Mary, Stanley and Mimi had taken seats near the front and Mimi had waved at Jake to come take a seat near them but he had shook his head. He wanted to watch from the back where he could watch people. Heather was near the front steps, along with several teachers and parents helping coordinate the event. The pageant was comical, with the students playing the various roles of an abridged history of the United States, from Christopher Columbus and the Indians, to the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and even World Wars One and Two, though tactfully not mentioning the atom bomb. Everyone had laughed when the young boy playing Paul Revere accidentally swung his play lantern and hit the tall boy playing Abe Lincoln in the butt, making him yelp and knock down several of the children around him, including the girl playing the Statue of Liberty. No one was hurt except for a few scraped knees. The older children read off the Preamble to the Constitution followed by the younger children saying the words of the Gettysburg address, one child per line. A few of them fumbled their lines and a few added quite the dramatic flare to them. As they read off the dates of important times in the United States history, Jake was surprised when they included mention of the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the recent War on Terror and those who died on 9/11, culminating in a word of silence for all those who died in the worst terrorist attack in the world last year. He saw the understanding on the faces of the children and adults about what had happened. Now, if only they could figure out the why. Jake was still working on that. But their performance had touched people and Jake saw it evident in the faces of the parents and residents watching the pageant. Jake had casually watched Lt. Brady keeping watch on the show and looking more annoyed at the tone of the show as it progressed. Apparently, the military didn't like this reminder of the United States history, no matter how innocent. There was a lot of dislike of the former United States among the military, a sentiment Jake had picked up from many of the officers. He had a feeling that was being promoted from the top down somehow.

Toward the end, one child dressed in a cowboy hat, tan riding pants and high polished riding boots that looked a bit too big for him, stepped forward as he carried a saddle and riding crop. He took of his hat to reveal black carefully-parted hair that made him look older than his years. He began to read from the card in front of him, in a loud voice.

"_Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: 'We the People.' 'We the People' tell the government what to do; it doesn't tell us. 'We the People' are the driver; the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which 'We the People' tell the government what it is allowed to do. 'We the People' are free._"

A chill went through Jake despite the heat of the early afternoon. With everything that he was trying to do, the words struck a powerful chord inside his heart. Again, tears gathered in his eyes, but this time, they were tears of pride. This was what he was fighting for.

Jake looked at Heather and saw her searching the crowd until she saw him near the back. She smiled mysteriously as her eyes met his knowingly. How had Heather known to put that in there? His father had been a big fan of Ronald Reagan and they had discovered several books about him and his speeches in his father's library. It reminded him of his younger days when he had rebelled against everything his father had stood for. Now, it suddenly made sense. Truth, freedom and liberty, small government, and a free society but one where the government helped as needed without controlling everything. He would have never believed that those words, nearly twenty years old, would be so poignant now as they now faced a government that was slowly taking over everything as they heard in the Underground updates. He swallowed hard, fighting back his own tears. Jake saw his mother raising a tissue to wipe away tears. And she wasn't alone as he saw several people reaching for handkerchiefs and a few coughs about the crowd. As the child stepped back to take his place between a astronaut of John Glenn and a small boy who had stood in for Martin Luther King, a silence fell over the crowd.

The quiet chords to America the Beautiful broke out and the children began to sing, quiet at first then louder as they gained confidence and a choir director lifted her hands instructing them to sing louder. The bass of the music was strong and pounded from the speakers. On the side of the stage, Bonnie led a small group of students doing the signing. It was beautiful to watch their fluid movements. Soon, the entire crowd was singing along with them, their voices echoing down the street of Jericho.

In the end, it was a reminder that though all their troubles that America had always prevailed and would continue to do so. Jake glanced around and couldn't find Lt. Brady any longer, but saw a handful of soldiers who had been mixed in with the crowd. He hoped there wouldn't be any problems because of the pageant, but he was proud of his hometown and how they had pulled together in the last year to get through the most difficult catastrophe their nation had ever faced.

After God Bless America, there was a round of applause with a standing ovation and they let all the children take a bow.

_Windows._ It reminded Jake of who and what he was fighting so hard for.

He wanted to go over to Heather when it was over to let her know how much the pageant had touched him, but she was quickly surrounded by children and people talking to her and the others that had organized the pageant and telling them how much they enjoyed the it. He saw her reassuring several of the children still in costume and shaking hands with several parents. She gave the little girl playing the Statue of a Liberty a big hug as she crouched down and inspected the scrape on the little girl's knee. A hard feeling hit him hard in the gut as he watched Heather effortlessly deal with parents and children. He was reminded at how good she was with children, even on that bus the first day they had met, and at the mine when he had had to bury them there to protect them from fallout, and at church when he watched her talk to former students, and at the workshops when she demonstrated how soap was made.

Then Stanley and Mimi walked up to Heather as Bonnie came off the stage. Stanley said something that made Heather laugh as he gave her a hug from the side. Eric and Mary and his mother came up and they were all talking with the small group of people around them. As Jake watched Heather, he dreamed of what it could have been like today if it wasn't for what he was doing. Couples were holding hands and families were together with their children as they started to explore the rest of the booths set up for the holiday. Watching Heather and the children made him think things he wasn't quite ready for. He had too much ahead of him to do, too many unknowns, and too much uncertainty. He couldn't think along those lines, not yet.

Loneliness hit him, just like the old days when he had felt like such a screwup yet tried to cover it by hanging out with Emily and their bad crowd of friends. In the past, he would have spent the Fourth of July looking for trouble and going out to a number of parties and fireworks later. He had never appreciated the celebration in Jericho like he was now. Now, he felt an outsider because of what he knew and what he was up to. But it was for these people he was doing what he did, he reminded himself. For Heather, for all those still surviving and getting by, and for all those who had died. It was just that times like today, he was beginning to dislike what he was doing.

_Each window, you can look outside and observe what's going on. But it's your choice on what to do. Do you sit and watch? Do you yell or talk to someone on the other side? Do you reach out and touch? Do you stay safe inside and let the world pass you by? _

Maybe he should just tell Hawkins he didn't want a part of this any longer. Jericho, his mother and Heather needed him still, especially with Ravenwood here and the charter still too new. He still remembered the look in Heather's eyes as he had broken his promise to spend today with her, remembered the passion in her eyes as he had kissed her at the plant, overwhelmed by how beautiful she was when angry, then the hurt when he couldn't tell her what he was really doing. Maybe he had been wrong in starting a relationship right now. Maybe he should have left Heather alone. He was a screwup and his track history pitiful, especially when it came to women. Emily was a prime example of that. He had seen the way the men in the plant looked at Heather and admired her. Ted was probably in love with her, though Heather appeared to be blind to it. She would have been better off with one of them, not a screwup like him. She deserved better, not someone who had to lie and dance around everyone in his life to try and do something he wasn't even sure about himself. Hawkins had told him to get his life in order and let those he loved be his strength in the times ahead. Did Hawkins know how painful that might be, especially in light of what they were up against?

When he worked for Jonah, he used to lie to his parents and Emily about what he was really doing. This was much the same. But it was supposed to be different right? He was doing this for the better of them all, right? At least, he sure as helped hoped he was. He still sometimes had doubts about Hawkins and what they were doing. What if Hawkins was the one lying to him? Jake had been doing most of the work thus far, taking out the gangs, getting Emily involved, and risking his reputation and now possibly ruining any chance to have a meaningful relationship.

_Sometimes, you will see things that you don't like on the other side of that window. How you react and what you do is up to you. _

He had had to hold himself in check every time he saw a Ravenwood man pass by, even though they had appeared to be professional so far except for the incident at the plant that morning. Jake was convinced it was just a show to gain people's trust for now. He had calmed down about Ravenwood since Monday, but he still worried, knowing what they might be capable of. He might be able to make a case against them with Colonel Hoffman, or maybe Emily could with Major Williams. But what would they do if the military pulled out completely? Who would they take complaints to if Ravenwood got out of hand? The government didn't seem very responsive, not even to their requests for medicine and fuel.

_Can you look past the window to the horizon and see the longer goal?_

But Jake had gotten his own share of attention today so far, not that he was yet comfortable with it. He would occasionally catch his mother smiling at him as he talked to people and shook hands. People leaving the pageant as they moved on to other events passed by Jake to talk. People wanted to know about the charter or ask about what had really happened to Jonah Prowse or what he really thought about Ravenwood being in town. A few had also noted that he was occasionally going away on trips and Jake had had to carefully word his answers to make sure what he said was the right message. Yes, the charter was going well and they were still making adjustments. Jonah Prowse was indeed dead, thanks to the military and he and his men would no longer be bothering Jericho. Ravenwood was here and would help out just like the military did. And he was doing work for the military on his trips out of town as well as checking on potential trade deals with other towns. He was getting rather good at answering and was wondering if this had been how his father had felt like as mayor. News about the incident at the plant that morning had spread and people had also asked him about that. He only reiterated Colonel Hoffman's words, that it had been a misunderstanding. People needed to not worry about what was really going on out there. They needed to focus on their own worries on the town and getting by, at least for now. Civil war rumors loomed on the horizon. They would tackle that problem when and if it came to it.

Gray Anderson called for attention as he stepped up the microphone on the stage and began to pontificate about Jericho and the past months. With all the thoughts churning inside him, Jake needed a break and headed toward City Hall.

_Do you see an opportunity that you can use to your advantage on that other side of the window? Sit and watch first, but then decide on what do to. Do you go through and seize the moment to do something? Sometimes you don't always have that choice and you will get thrown or pulled out that window. Sometimes, you will see things that you don't like on the other side of that window. How you react and what you do is up to you. Can you turn something to your advantage? _

_Windows_.

As Jake walked into City Hall, he saw a number of people down the hall reading the bulletin boards where the charter and rates were posted. It was cooler in the City Hall, though all the doors and windows were open letting in the warm, summer breeze. Two Ravenwood men stood guard just inside the door, looking bored. In the police station, he saw Tyler, Larry Steven's son, filling in at the police station. They had gotten a number of residents offering to work finally for the police department in the past couple of weeks, especially since the charter passed. Tyler was one of them. He was rather young, just barely out of college, but had been going through law enforcement training at the University of Kansas when the bombs hits. He had found his way home and had been working with his father to help out with the border patrol. He was now learning on the job what it was like to be a deputy, paper work and all. Right now, Tyler looked like he was typing up a report on the older model typewriter at one of the desks.

One of the town councilmen stood by one of the charter bulletin boards answering questions. Jake headed his way, intending to help him out. But the mayor's office door was open. The sight he saw inside stopped him in his tracks. At the mayor's desk was Goetz, reading through files that were piled all over the desk; the desk that his father had used for decades. Jake's mood quickly switched to anger.

But then the talk of windows came back to him. Should Jake just sit back and let it go? Or should he do something? Or could this be an opportunity? He noticed all the files on the desk. Some looked to be from the police office, but others he vaguely recognized as the dark green folders from the records office of City Hall. What was Goetz up to?

"This is the mayor's office." Jake called from the doorway. He checked his rising anger. Memories of the dead patients in Rogue River flashed across his mind, along with images from his nightmare. Never forget, he reminded himself.

"I know." Goetz barely glanced up at Jake before going back to what he was reading. The man still wore a uniform, but his heavy outer vest had been tossed onto a nearby chair leaving him wearing a dark short sleeved t shirt. "He said I could use it."

Jake found it hard to believe that Gray would do that, but anymore, he wasn't as sure about Gray. Gray seemed more interested in keeping the peace than standing up for what was right. Jake was still trying to figure out that balance, but usually aimed for the side of right rather than caution regardless of the consequences, something that had been getting him into more trouble lately.

"Don't worry. They'll be getting me an office down the street sometime soon." Goetz added. "I know you must want us gone badly, but sadly enough, we're not going away, not anytime soon."

Seeing as they were setting up a camp outside near the military outpost, Jake knew that now. He decided to let it pass for now. Hatred for this man blazed inside him, but he stifled it. _Windows... _"Working on a holiday?"

"It's not my holiday. Not anymore." Goetz didn't even look up but continued scanning something in front of him while he made notes on a notepad.

"Finding anything interesting there?" Jake asked, leaning a shoulder against the door frame, not relenting So what was Goetz looking for going through City Hall documents? And what right did he have to be going through them?

Goetz finally glanced up. "Yeah, maybe something you can help me with. Can you tell me why there is no documentation for Robert Hawkins buying his house? There is a note from where it had been leased last year, but nothing about the sale."

That took Jake by surprise. But then, Eric had told him that Ravenwood might be taking over the investigation for terrorists. He just hadn't thought it would be this fast. But maybe he could find out more about how much they knew so far. "Deeds are handled at the county clerk's office. It's down the street out by the State Road."

"I looked there, but the place is locked up. Aren't they ware still required to file a copy of the transfer of ownership at City Hall?."

Jake wasn't sure where he was going with this line of thinking. "Dunno, maybe they hadn't got that far? Things kinda went to hell around here after the bombs went off."

"Didn't anyone find it odd how Robert Hawkins showed up a day before the bombs and paid cash for his house? That was nearly $150,000. Didn't anyone, say... your father... find that as suspicious? Or maybe he just didn't care to ask about it or was not doing his job."

That set Jake's temper to flaring. He knew what a stickler his father used to be for paperwork, though he hated it. His father had resisted converting to using computers because of it. He wanted a hard written copy for most things. It had taken his mother years to finally get Johnston Green to give in and start letting them use computers at City Hall. Knowing his father, he would have checked into the big cash purchase eventually, but then the bombs had happened.

"I don't know. I wasn't here yet." Jake said, but there had been gossip about town about how Robert Hawkins had paid in full with cash for his house. Not many in Jericho had ever had or seen that much money in cash before.

"That's right." Goetz replied, absently pointing his pen at Jake before going back to the document he was reading.

"And it can take several days for all the paperwork to be done." Jake didn't want to have a civil conversation with this man. He didn't want to talk to him at all. But Hawkins would want to know what he was up to. "So why are you so interested in his deed?"

To his surprise, Goetz answered. "I'm more interested in the cash. He may have used large amounts elsewhere. Follow the cash and you find where a man came from and who he's working for."

Jake had never considered this angle before. He had never asked where Hawkins had gotten the money to buy his house. He guessed it probably came from the CIA somehow. He wondered what Goetz would find out, however. Would the money trace back to the CIA? Would there even be any records left of it? "Isn't it a little late to be hunting this down now?"

"Maybe. But that large of an amount of cash... some bank somewhere had to know about it. Large cash amounts are usually tracked by the Department of Treasury when it gets withdrawn from and deposited at a bank. They match it against other records of large amounts of cash that the Treasury knows about." Goetz looked up at Jake, finally noticing that Jake was interested in this.

Jake wondered how Goetz knew that much, but then again, Ravenwood had had a good amount of cash when they tried to bribe Freddie. "Well, hate to be the one to tell you this, but the Department of Treasury is history."

Goetz gave him a smug smile. "Maybe, but maybe not all its records. Government agencies had backups. Cheyenne has access to some of them and-"

"So why don't you just check with them?" Jake interrupted.

"Working on it. Don't have the security clearance yet." Goetz leaned back in his chair. His father's chair, no, it was Gray's now, Jake reminded himself.

"What a shame." Jake tried to contain his mirth "But I thought you were just here to help us out, why the interest in Hawkins and terrorists? Run out of towns to steal food from?"

That looked like it had finally bothered Goetz. Goetz gave him a pointed look. '"You know, I've heard that you haven't been exactly accommodating when it came for the search for these terrorists here in Jericho. I wonder why that is?"

Jake answered, perhaps too quickly. "We've been rather busy, just trying to survive."

Goetz gave him that smug smile again. "Then you should be pretty glad to see us here. We can help you with these types of things... unsolved murders, missing people, refugees coming and going..."

"We can handle it."

"Indeed? That's not what I heard. Like you handled the missing person investigation of..." Goetz glanced down at a notepad in front of him before looking up to stare accusingly at Jake. "Sarah Mason? And how she got murdered, probably in this here town of yours that is supposed to be so safe and wonderful?"

Jake remembered a few months ago, when Lt. Williams had accused them of not doing their jobs. They still hadn't hired a new sheriff yet, as Gray was waiting to take applications if and when the charter passed, but they had done other things. Both he and Eric had seen to that. But Goetz was obviously going off what the military still assumed, and they hadn't been asking many questions lately about crime management. Jake had a feeling it was because they were more focused on the growing threat from the East. Gray had only been telling them that they now had things under control though Jake knew that had been just barely. With the charter approved, they had been hoping to start staffing up the police force to replace the sheriff and other deputies they had lost the day of the bombs and add a few more as well.

"You fail to follow through on a murder investigation and you wonder why they brought me to town?" Goetz sneered at him.

"Be right back." Jake smiled deviously. He had been waiting for this moment. He been hoping to do this against the military, preferably with Major Williams, but the opportunity had never come up. Perhaps now was his chance, even better, with Ravenwood. _Windows of opportunity..._

Goetz jumped slightly when Jake returned and dropped several thick and heavy file folders on the desk in front of him. Goetz eyed him suspiciously. "What's this?"

"Full reports of every murder investigation, missing people, crime reports for the past ten months, and... a full list of all residents, former residents, and refugees that have come and left town in the past months." Jake said smugly, though he still held a file folder back in his hand. Jimmy, Bill, Eric and he had worked diligently on this in the past months, ever since Lt. Williams had accused them of not doing their jobs. Mary, Jimmy's wife, and several other women in town had helped with writing and typing up the reports using the old typewriters they had retrieved from the basement of City Hall. His mother had been keeping track of all refugees and the church was maintaining a list as well. "You'll probably see a piece of paper on the top that shows the most recent additions, including the six women that came from Jonah's Prowse's compound. Oh, and the list of men that they took up to Cheyenne from Jonah's Prowse's compound, at least the residents of Jericho. And we still want them back."

Jake saw a flicker of surprise cross Goetz's features before it was gone. He hid his reaction by looking down at the folders. He thumbed through the folders, skimming the contents. "I don't see much here about Roberts Hawkins."

"Requires security clearance." Jake replied, trying not to laugh. "But I'm sure you'll get it in due time."

Goetz glared at him.

Jake waved the folder he had been holding in the air. "This is a copy of what the military has. Everything we know about Robert Hawkins, including the fact that he bought his house in cash and Mr. Sidney Brooks deposited it on behalf of JD Reality at the Kansas Liberty bank. Statements made by various town members, myself included, and the transcripts of interviews the military completed here in the past several months regarding Robert Hawkins. An autopsy report of Sarah Mason is in here too, just in case they are tied to one another. Also a few of my own notes regarding leads and contacts I've made outside of Jericho who may have seen Robert Hawkins."

He had to admit, some of the information in the file was slightly made up, built upon gossip fro around town, but Goetz and the military wouldn't be able to really tell. He had made sure Jimmy had been thorough about this, not that he needed much supervision. Jimmy, like his father, took the paperwork seriously. He knew Jimmy wanted the sheriff's position and Jake had taken advantage of Jimmy to make sure this information was documented, though it had taken them several requests and Emily's help to finally get a copy of Sarah Mason's autopsy report from the military. She had been killed from the back by a pistol was all they really had to go on. But Jake was bluffing about the last information about his own notes, but he could hastily add it later this week. It would give Eric something to tell Lt. Brady about what Jake was up to. It gave him a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that they had picked up the slack in the past few months with at least documenting the things that needed done for Jericho.

"Let me see." Goetz held out his hand. Cool blue eyes met his, the ones from his nightmare, ones that had threatened to attack Jericho if they didn't let them over that bridge.

"Once you get your security clearance, sure." Jake gloated as he walked out the door, carrying the file. He turned around to give Goetz a mock salute before turning away. "Sorry, I'm just doing my job."

Jake wasn't sure exactly what that job was anymore. Eric was acting deputy mayor and though Jake didn't have that as a formal appointment like his brother, he had been filling in and trusted with most of Jericho's management and private information such as crime reports and complaints. But Goetz didn't necessarily know that.

Jake walked back to the police station and locked the file folder back up in the secured file cabinets, placing the key back in the known hiding place. Sure if Goetz went looking, he could probably find the key or unlock the file cabinet, but Jake wasn't going to make his job that easy. He knew that the military had stalled on their search for Hawkins and the package in recent weeks. Emily had said that Major Williams was getting frustrated. They had argued over turning over too much information on Hawkins, but Jake had hoped it would add a little more credibility for Jericho in the eyes of the military. He just hadn't expected Ravenwood to show up and take over the investigation. He would have to tread lightly in the coming weeks. They might dig deeper than Jake was able to cover. He thought about the package and hoped it would be safe where it was. It wasn't exactly where someone would look for it, yet, if someone got curious enough and had the right equipment, they might be able to find it.

"Everything okay?" Tyler Stevens asked, pulling his report out of the typewriter. The boy looked too young to be working as a police officer yet, though Jake knew he was at least twenty one. Had Jake ever been that young?

"Everything's fine. Keep an eye on things... and him." Jake pointed at Goetz.

"Will do."

_Windows_. Jake whistled America the Beautiful as he saluted the Ravenwood men guarding the door on his way out.

Outside, he saw that Mayor Anderson had finished his speech and people were dispersing, filling Main Street. As Jake looked around, he wondered if he had gone back a hundred years in time. There were several games along the street that they had set up for the children to play. Several booths had water and food from local in season produce. Other booths had been set up to demonstrate food preservation techniques and another on spinning wool, flax and cotton. There was a display that the workshops had put together listing the local herbs and flowers and wild berries and when each would be coming into season and where they might be found, including maps around Jericho. Others had goods to sell and trade. There were more than one farmer selling and trading fresh fruit and vegetables and another offering up seeds and trays of starter plants for gardens. Jake saw them marking down tallies on paper as they tracked credits for the charter. Most trading got done on rations day at the warehouse now, but people were now branching out a bit to try and sell and trade for goods.

He frowned when he saw that one of the booths was manned by soldiers from the outpost. They were handing out mini New America flags and flyers and looked to be signing up people for the military as they talked to several young men. Eric had told him that there were going to set up a recruitment office in town.

Shaking his head with dismay, he wondered if it would do any good for him to object. Pick your battles, as his father used to say when he saw things happening in Jericho that he disagreed with. Jake couldn't win all the battles, not with Ravenwood here, not when he was trying to stay on the good side of the military. But how far was he going to have to give in to keep this up? Was the military actually going to war? Jake didn't want to see his hometown bereft of young men to fight in a war that he certainly didn't believe in, though he had to wonder if people had felt the same way back during the Civil War.

_Windows_.

_Do you sit and watch? Do you yell or talk to someone on the other side? Do you reach out and touch? Do you stay safe inside and let the world pass you by? But most times, you can learn based on what you did and saw in other windows and make the right choice that will help you meet that horizon down the road._

He thought he saw Heather and his mom with Mary talking with several women at one of the booths. He was tempted to go up and say hello, wanting to hug Heather and tell her how touched he had been by the pageant. But he didn't want to see the disappointment in her eyes again when he left. He was a coward, he knew, but he reminded himself that he was doing the right thing. At least he sure hoped so. He had a job to do.

_Windows_. He passed this window by and started heading out of town toward the Pines. He knew about a nuclear bomb hidden outside of Jericho, Kansas and here he was going to a party.

(To be continued...) 


	33. Chapter 33

Full Circle, Chapter Thirty Three

_Warning: Some strong language and hints of adult content here.  
_  
The chime of the doorbell rang deep inside the house. Jake waited impatiently on the doorstep of Emily's house in the Pines, wondering what he would say to Emily when she opened the door. He hadn't exactly been invited personally to her Fourth of July party, but since he was persona non grata lately with Emily, he wasn't surprised. He had been here on many occasions, but was still struck by how nice the house was, not quite as expensive as the rest of the houses in the area, but definitely better than most of the houses in Jericho. Roger had done well for Emily, giving her the things she had always wanted, a nice house full of nice things, a better reputation, trave around the world and an expensive engagement ring. And now Roger was gone, being replaced by Major Williams as of late. Jake wasn't sure how he felt about either of the men, but compared to both of them, he still felt inadequate. He had never really had a career, unless you counted his brief career working for Jonah. He didn't like to think that anything he had done in his five years away even vaguely represented anything close to a career. Misspent youth, perhaps or better yet, misspent belated youth. Sighing, he told himself to not dwell on his wayward past today.

Long seconds passed and no one answered the door. He rang the doorbell again and was tempted to just let himself in. It was evident that there was a party going on here by the din of voices and sound of music from the backyard Jake had heard as he walked up. One oddity was twerehe lack of cars that would have typically indicated that a party was going on here but recent times had changed that. There were several military trucks parked along the street, however.

Just as he was about to reach to open the door to let himself in, the door opened. Instead of Emily, an unfamiliar young woman appeared in the open doorway. She appeared to be about college age and wearing a tank top and cut-off jean shorts. Taller than Heather, she had shoulder-length light-brown hair pulled back in a loose pony-tail and brown eyes. Her skin was tan as if she'd be laying out in the sun or working outside, but Jake was betting on the suntanning. Emily did have a pool.

"Hi, Jake!" she greeted him.

"I see you already know who I am." He gave an awkward laugh.

"Everybody knows who you are! We've heard all the stories!" She beamed at him and gave him a sly smile. "And seen some of the pictures."

Jake groaned.

"I'm Krissie." She held her hand out to him and Jake moved to shake it, a little surprised by the formality, but she pulled her hand away. "No, I need to take your gun. Em said no guns here today."

"Right." Jake pulled the gun out the back of his pants and handed it over. It felt weird being without his gun. He had it with him all the time now. But after what had happened at the plant that morning, he couldn't blame Emily for being cautious.

He realized by Krissie's name that she was one of the women rescued from Jonah's. His mother had mentioned their names when talking to him about how they were doing and her efforts to help look after them. Krissie looked to be in a pretty good mood despite all that had happened to her, however. Krissie gingerly took his gun as if afraid it would accidentally go off and placed it in the top drawer of the nearby bureau that looked like it had recently moved into place for just this purpose. She wrote his name on a sticky note and placed it on the gun. He saw several other guns with similar labels in the same drawer. Krissie locked the drawer with a key.

"Come on to the back." She waved him in the direction of the back of the house. Jake already knew the way having been here before, but he let her show him the way to the sliding glass doors, one of several sets that opened from the den onto the large patio. The deck wrapped around the house on both sides and went as far as the pool in the backyard. Emily had occasionally brought Jake out to the patio for lunch or dinner. He could only guess that Emily and Roger had had several parties here in the past. The den at the back of the house faced east and normally let in the morning sun with its sliding glass doors and several sets of windows from the ceiling to the floor. Now it showed the crowded back patio lit by the blazing afternoon sun.

"I need to go check on the bar, so I'll leave you here." Krissie told him as he followed her out onto the deck. She waved as she left and disappeared into the crowd.

The backyard held a good many people, including soldiers, spilling out from the deck and around the pool Two grills stood in the custom grilling area of the patio with several men crowded around them barbecuing some sort of meat as they talked and drank. Did he smell hot dogs and hamburgers? It made his stomach growl with hunger. And sure enough, on tables not far from the doors was a spread of food, including burgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments and an array of dishes, including fresh vegetables and fruit, some of which Jake wasn't sure came from Jericho. There was a big bowl of what looked to be fruit salad and several others containing a variety of chips and pretzels. One table held glasses, a large tub full of ice cubes, several pitchers of lemonade and tea, and a punch bowl that looked like it actually contained punch. Off to one side of the large patio area was a wet bar manned by a bartender mixing drinks and using a tap to serve up a liquid that looked like beer.

Jake shook his head in disbelief, wondering if he was dreaming or perhaps the last nine months had just been a nightmare. Except for the soldiers in uniform, it was like he had just stepped into a normal party. It was quite the spread and he was amazed that Emily had so quickly thrown it together. Then again, Emily used to love to organize and throw parties and used to work for a catering business. It was odd to see her normally calm and peaceful back patio so transformed. Soft music played from speakers, though it was hard to hear it over the murmur of many conversations. The place was packed with very small walkways between groups of people and chairs. A good number of lounge chairs had been set out, but Jake guessed they had been borrowed from some of Emily's neighbors. There were a few red, white and blue decorations, New America flags, and lights strung across overhead. Emily had gone all out for this.

But there were little things that stood out and were a reminder of their new world. Most of the soldiers were still in uniform, many of them without their jackets wearing lightweight tan shirts, displaying tanned arms and a few tattoos and with dog tags around their necks. Jake missed his dog tags and instinctively felt for his, remembering what had happened to them. He was hoping someone at the turbine plant could pound his battered dog tag back into shape so he could wear them again. Even Major Williams had dressed down, having removed his jacket from earlier leaving his dress uniform slacks and a white shirt with his rank insignia and bars. Most of the rest of the attendees were in various levels of dress, with more of the prominent residents of Jericho dressed nicely, a few in shirts and ties and the women in nice cocktail and summer dresses. Still, there were a few of the younger people, such as Krissie, in casual dress more suited for the hot weather. There was a handful of children, most of them minding their manners with their parents though a few were in the backyard playing with frisbees and balls. Looking around and seeing the faces of those here, he guessed that most of these people hadn't been at the festivities downtown and was disappointed.

There were many faces he recognized, many of them from the more well-to-do families of Jericho, including a few businessmen and their wives. He remembered many of them from when his father was mayor and he would have them over to the house for dinner or at City Hall to talk about town issues. A few of them had shown up at the weekly town hall meetings and workshops they had, but not many as far as he recalled. Heather and his mom would have remembered. There were also a good number of soldiers and a few officers he recognized. Major Williams stood by Emily's side helping her set out a tray of vegetables. Lt. Brady was in a corner talking to several women, one of whom was laughing as he told a joke. He didn't see Colonel Hoffman however. He had been looking forward to talking to him.

Emily glanced up and saw him as Jake carefully navigated his way through guests toward the food table. As he approached, the major saw Jake, whispered something to Emily, then walked away in the direction of a group of soldiers.

"So you did come after all." Emily stated flatly, one hand on her hip. She had changed from the outfit she had worn at the plant ceremony that morning. Now, she was wearing a figure-hugging, white dress that left her tanned arms and legs bare. He didn't recognize the diamond pendant and matching earrings she wore, making him wonder if they were real and something Roger had given her. Her hair was carefully styled and she wore full makeup. She looked beautiful all dressed up. "Angie said you were coming."

"Yeah. Figured it would be a good way to rub elbows with a few people." He replied. Several people walked around them as they filled their plates with food. Jake glanced around the crowd. "But I don't see the colonel."

Emily tilted her head as she stared at him. "He didn't come, but he was invited. Mike said he's not very social."

He tried to imagine Colonel Hoffman standing here, making small talk and talking about the weather and failed. He felt the coolness coming from Emily. She wasn't happy that he was here. Then again, he was a reminder of all their mistakes, of his mistakes, and that he had organized the attack that resulted in her father's death. Silence fell between them as they stared at each other and Jake searched for something to say that wouldn't result in them fighting, especially with so many others within earshot.

"Hey Emily, is it okay if they open another keg of beer?" Krissie walked up, saving him from their awkward silence.

"Yeah." Emily answered. "They're in the basement."

"Kegs of beer?" Jake asked, raising his eyebrows at Emily. She only smiled mysteriously at him.

"There you are!" A voice exclaimed behind him and he felt a hand reach to entwine his arm with a long, slender one. "Hey, Emily."

"Hi Ang, I see you've met Jake." Krissie said with a smile.

"I've met the infamous Jake Green, yes." Angie replied, exchanging a knowing look with Emily.

Jake wondered what that meant. He gave Emily a searching look and she only continued to smile at him. What had Emily told her and the other women? He tried not to look too shocked as he considered some of the things Emily could have told them. And if they had access to alcohol, Emily could be even worse, he knew. Some people turned into silly or angry drunks, Emily just got spiteful and tended to talk about anything whether it was fit for company or not.

"Thank you for what you did earlier today." Angie said, smiling at him. She had perfect white teeth.

"You're welcome." He replied. "Are you okay? That guy knocked you down pretty hard."

"I'm fine. Trust me, I've had worse." Angie answered quickly.

Krissie looked alarmed for a second as if remembering something then turned to walk away. "Okay, I'm outta here. Em, let someone else have door duty for a while."

Someone distracted Emily with a question.

"Let's get some food in you." Angie took Jake by the arm and led him over the beginning of the food tables.

Hours passed as Jake mingled with most of those present at the party. He had never been good at making small talk, but he remembered some of what Hawkins had been teaching him, about how to watch and read people and even tried practicing some of the techniques as he talked to various soldiers and some of the residents of Jericho, many of whom he didn't see that often. He remembered his parents' manner of asking about various family members or news from about town, news that was now filled with stories about how people were coping since the bombs had gone off. He met the rest of the women that had been saved from Jonah's compound, all thanking him profusely until he could get away. He heard his name mentioned often as he walked around and a few hushed whispers. Tales of the past nine months came up often and he received many condolences about the loss of his father and comments about how wonderful of a man Johnston Green had been. He passed one crowd of older residents of Jericho that were getting a lot of amusement out of telling stories of how little bad boy Jake Green used to always get in trouble. He saw Emily watching him with interest but any time he tried to walk up to Emily alone to talk to her, she conveniently walked away.

After a while, Jake found himself sitting down in the ring of lounge chairs some of the soldiers had pulled together. One of the soldiers had pulled out Emily's old guitar and had been casually strumming it and tuning it. These were soldiers from Colonel Hoffman's brigade, many of whom had just arrived for training before they were to ship out, most of them destined to fortify the border near the Mississippi. He didn't recognize many of them, but made it a point to introduce himself and try and memorize their names. It was one skill Hawkins was trying to teach him. Anyone could be a friend or ally, or a foe. Several women, some from Jericho and a few he didn't know as well, lingered around the soldiers. Angie sat right next to Jake, gracefully sitting on a lounge chair with her long, tanned legs outstretched and looking like she was modeling for a shoot. Jake noticed she sat very close to his side, sometimes casually touching him. Her touch was nice and made him imagine what it would be like to be with an attractive woman like her as he used to dream about the women in Playboy and porn movies. Great to look at, think about and jerk off to, but the real thing was so much better, like what he had with Heather, who sparked his imagination, heart and soul all together.

The metallic clink of horseshoes being played occasionally broke above the murmur of the crowd. There was also a lawn bowing game going on in the far back area of the lawn. A few of the soldiers played frisbee and another was telling a group of children a story with hand gestures that had them listen intently. Jake could hardly believe how normal it all seemed. It was good to see people relaxing and having fun, but it seemed surreal, like the last nine months hadn't happened. He could be here with Emily after returning home from his years abroad like they used to socialize when he was working for Jonah. But back then, Emily was just usually helping with the catering of parties about town, working in a local catering business as extra income as she worked her way through school. Jake often tagged along when he could to help out. Now, it was Emily's house and Emily's party.

As he continued to drink, he swapped stories with the soldiers. Even Major Williams joined in. He heard various stories from the soldiers, talking about their time in basic training, at bases deployed throughout the world, a few about Iraq and Afghanistan, and then the horror at having to come home to protect the United States then joining the military of the Cheyenne government of New America as it was being called. He saw the bombs through their eyes, those who were in the military and now having to help break up riots and unrest in their own country, a nation now divided between the East and West and from Texas. New recruits were coming from the refugee camps in droves. Most didn't know where their families were or if they were even alive. Their units were their family now. Pictures and old letters from family were heirlooms now, sometimes passed on to other soldiers for them to contact their families in case they were ever found again, to pass on one last message from their fallen comrades. One set of letters and pictures had been passed on five times. The casualty rate was high as the soldiers and military adjusted to dealing with gangs and mass violence in cities and towns. He was reminded of his grandfather's war stories, the ones he only told on rare occasions, about how bloody and lonely war really was, especially for soldiers. Jake had seen it abroad, but it was different when it was in your own country with people who could have been your friends and neighbors.

He did notice that Lt. Brady didn't participate much in their conversations, though he often stood nearby listening. But Jake found that Major Williams, after a few adult beverages, loosened up some and told some of his own stories, tales that sent many of the soldiers laughing as he shared comical stories from Army Ranger training and some of the pranks they had played. Jake shared his own stories from his time abroad, including some of his stories from emergency landings and what it felt like to fly landings into Baghdad. If anything, flying stories were still popular. He noticed a nod of approval and a few laughs at his stories from the major. They still didn't talk much anymore, even when he visited the outpost, but maybe today, he could help smooth the ruffled feathers between them a bit. Hawkins would have wanted that. Jake still had a job to do.

All during the afternoon, Angie was never far from his side, often refilling his drink for him, though she seemed more interested in getting a tan than socializing. He wasn't sure if she was listening behind her sunglasses or napping. He had tried to strike up conversations with her, trying to find out more about her past but she had avoided answering any direct questions. She also ignored most of the other men that came up and tried to talk to her, casually dismissing them with her cool demeanor.

Jake sat back and listened to the ongoing conversations around him. He was slightly buzzed, having not drank much in the past year and it was good to have beer for once. Major Williams had provided the beer and the military some of the food, in 'appreciation' for Emily's work at the outpost. The food was well received, to his amusement, as he used to remember Emily complaining that these upscale parties would never settle for something as simple as hot dogs and hamburgers for a party, but would choose dishes like chicken cordon bleu or salmon that took hours to make and most of the people barely nibbled on. Now, most people were eating the food with gusto and those manning the grill could barely keep up with the demand. There were little things that stood out, however. Many of the condiments, such as the ketchup and mayonnaise, were homemade and tasted different. And instead of plastic and paper dishes, real dishes were used, which unfortunately resulted in a few broken plates and glasses. There was a steady flow of clean and dirty dishes coming in and out of the house. Emily and a few other women were busy keeping the food tables well supplied. The bar seemed to be getting a good deal of business as well, especially by the soldiers. He had learned a long time ago that soldiers tended to talk, especially after a bit of alcohol. These were no different.

"Yeah, CO had us check every single damn barrel in the place." He heard one soldier say and Jake caught other snatches of conversation.

"I'm so tired of sitting around babysitting. Can't wait for the real action to begin. I heard they're already fighting down in NOLA."

"Digging through garbage, can you believe they made us do that? And looking for what? Documents is all they said. I'll do ten miles running in full gear anyday. I told Tommy no more goofing off."

"He said they had him locked in a room writing computer viruses all day. I told him no thanks and to get a real job."

"Couldn't wait to get out of that town. Curfews and the hate they had toward us. You'd think we were the enemy when we were just trying to keep the peace."

"I can't believe how many of them believe that shit. Blaming the United States for everything that happened? Don't believe it, but say 'Yes, sir!' if the CO says anything. We're not paid to think. My brother says they are showing the same thing at his Naval base. Everyone's required to watch these films each week."

"I'm sick and tired of checking every house, under every rock and in every tree in this piece of shit boondocks. I can't believe they still have us looking for radiation. Ever since I got here."

"Yeah and we just left them there." Another said. It was one who was a pilot, Jake recalled, remembering him asking him questions about what it was liking flying into BIAP. "The sarge said 'Welcome to your new playground.', tossed them the handcuff key and told me to get the fuck out of there. I was sure we were going to get shot down any moment, but we made it back without even a fly by."

"Probably beats prison," another soldier laughed. "Hope the Easties like it."

Easties was the new name the soldiers were calling the East government and their military. Already, the divide between the two parts of the country were being felt. But Jake had a good feeling it was a sentiment being driven from the top down. These soldiers had once been part of the United States Army . They couldn't so easily change their loyalties but he had enough experience with the military to know how quickly they could refocus the thoughts of their soldiers, especially the new recruits, which many of these seemed to be. He knew from Emily that morale had been low but had been improving lately. He wondered what story they were being told. They had already heard the propaganda over the radio that blamed the former United States government for the bombs, but was there more to the story?

Jake would have liked to hear more, but was interrupted by Angie holding another glass of beer in his face. He hadn't even realized she had gotten up. The glass was right at her navel level and he couldn't help but notice her slim, flat stomach and long legs that ended in stiletto heels. He wondered vaguely if those were Emily's shoes. But as tall and thin as she was, she looked like she had bigger feet than Emily. Somewhere in town, she had gotten shoes like that. He took the glass from her hand and felt her fingers linger when they touched. He slowly raised his eyes upward, over firm-looking breasts that were hard to miss in her short, tight-fitting top, up to a slim neck and arms, tanned of course, and a smooth, thin face with high cheekbones, full lips, and full eyelashes. She had taken off her sunglasses and was smiling down at him with more than amusement in her eyes.

"Thanks." Jake gave her a weak smile, breaking eye contact. He hadn't asked for this attention, had he? He tried to remember if he had done anything that might have misled Angie. She was definitely very attractive. He'd have to be blind to notice and his body definitely had not missed the fact or the attention she was directing his way. She was as tall as he was, even without the heels and looked like she just walked out of a fashion magazine. Her nails were short but perfectly manicured and her hands didn't look like they were used to hard work. Her skin was flawless, well maintained though he thought he could see a few fading bruises. But it was her eyes that were captivating... turquoise blue eyes that most men would find entrancing and women would kill for. A natural beauty without a doubt, though she did look vaguely familiar and he wondered if he had seen her before the attack on Jonah's compound.

"So what's a cute guy like you doing still alone after all this time?" Angie asked as she sat down again next to him. She casually let her hand rest a bit longer on his leg as she used him to help ease herself back down into a more comfortable position. Jake had a feeling that it was a carefully planned touch but Angie pulled it off with grace. So now she was finally willing to talk with him?

"I'm not alone." Jake replied, thinking of Heather then cringed inwardly. He blamed the alcohol. Already he saw a few heads turn his direction at his words. This wasn't a crowd that could or should know about Heather and how much she meant to him. He raised the glass to his lips, eager for the alcohol to ease his nerves.

"Oh?" Angie looked at him with interest. With her free hand, she picked up her sunglasses and put them back on. He was pretty sure those were an old pair of Emily's, a pair of knockoff designer glasses she had gotten in New Bern at a festival, from what Jake remembered. It made it hard to read what her eyes were really saying... or looking at. "Emily said you're available."

Jake sputtered as he took a sip of the beer. He was pretty sure Emily would keep his secret, though she obviously wasn't going to make it easy.

"I've been really busy with work," Jake hastily added. "Not a lot of time for socializing." He almost added that he lived with his mother, but that would sound bad. Someone might ask about Heather living in his house, too. Better to leave it at that. He took a deep drink from his glass. The beer was a bit bitter but it was far better than the alcohol Mary had been making.

"Ah. A work-a-holic." She smiled. "Not like you have to be anywhere from 9-5 nowadays, right? Must be a full time job, being town hero and all."

Jake rolled his eyes as he looked away. He set his glass down on the nearby table. "There's a lot of work to be done now that we don't have gas and power on the farms. " Maybe he could bore her to death. "Fields to plant, crops to harvest, gardens to plant and weed, animals to feed and water, stalls to clean..."

"Boy, you really are a bunch of farmboys around here, aren't you?" Angie had turned her face up to the sun but he saw the smile cross her lips.

"Yep," Jake replied, thinking of Stanley and his many cousins. With all the work he had been doing on the Richmond farm this year, he may as well be Stanley's cousin. He wondered if Heather and the rest had made it out to the Richmond's yet and what they were doing. Would Heather finally take the day off and relax? She and Mimi had often joked about sitting out on the porch and gossiping and talking girl talk if they ever had the free time.

"I always wondered what it would be like to have a fun roll in the hay." Angie gave him a wicked smile as her hand wandered a bit higher up his leg. He had forgotten that her hand was still there. That got his attention.

On the edge of his vision, Jake saw Emily looking their way. Jake jumped to his feet, a bit off balance as he miscalculated how much he had drank so far. He reached for Angie's cup on the nearby table. Her glass was half-full, but it was enough of an excuse. "More to drink?"

"Sure, but if you'll excuse me, I just need to freshen up a bit. Give me a hand?" She held out her hand up to him and he took it, feeling long and slender fingers, cool to the touch despite the warmth of the afternoon. Her touch was not like Heather's small and strong hands. Angie stood up very close to Jake as she gained her feet, close enough that he could smell her perfume and feel the smoothness of her arms and just the hint of her firm breasts against his chest as she moved passed him, her hips brushing against his. A sinking feeling settled in his stomach as he realized that that move had been deliberate. His pulse picked up a notch. Another part of his anatomy took note as well.

The move had not gone unnoticed.

"Looks like someone's not going to bed alone tonight." One of the soldiers nearby teased once Angie had left. There were a few nods and chuckles of agreement from the group of them.

"Uh, no." Jake shook his head. The woman was attractive and sexy but his mind and heart were elsewhere... out on the Richmond's farm wondering what Heather was doing at that moment. He hoped she was having a good time and wasn't going to be too upset with him. He wondered if Ted had joined them after all. Ted was a nice, easy-going guy and after all his time spent with Heather at the plant the past few days, he had noticed that Ted obviously was feeling more than friendship for Heather. He wondered if Heather knew, or if she did, would she ever act on it. He had seen how easily the two got along and worked together.

"Did she tell you she used to model?" Another soldier asked.

"Who?" Jake was still thinking of Heather.

"Angie. Had her own website and everything. I think she was in one of my old calendars." The soldier grinned up at him. "Or maybe Sports Illustrated."

"Good thing you rescued her when you did." An soldier Jake remembered was called Kevin added. "And the rest."

"And a few of them are pretty thankful," The soldier named Greg said, nodding at where Krissie was openly flirting with a group of young soldiers with their feet in the pool as they sipped on their beers. On a nearby chair, the youngest one of the women rescued, Tammy, was listening to a soldier talking to her from a nearby chair. Emily had only said that Tammy was pretty traumatized by what had happened and they were trying to get her to talk about it.

Jake tried to be glad he had been a part of saving them, but he also remembered those who had died, such as Jonah and Trace, and the soldiers who had been severely injured. Several of Jonah's men had been pretty hurt as well. He wondered where they were now.

"The heroes always get the pretty girls."

"Yeah, like James Bond."

"And Jason Bourne."

"Even geeky Spiderman got the girl."

And the conversation degenerated into a debate about the sexiest leading lady and who had seen whose nude pictures on the Internet.

Jake just shook his head to himself, still not believing that he was in the middle of a social event acting like nothing was wrong with the world. Many of those actors and actresses were likely dead now. Los Angeles and most of Hollywood had been destroyed and the surrounding area affected by radiation. Then again, talking about normal things and the past was not a bad way of trying to cope and forget about their new reality. As he turned to walk away, his attention perked up when the soldiers mentioned something about refugee camp groupies, a trend where young women were offering favors to soldiers in exchange for better treatment or transfers to better facilities. They also hung around some of the military outposts and near the bases in Cheyenne and Fort Riley. Jake was familiar that there were always women hanging out near military bases in the past, so this was nothing new, but that they were using sex for food or favors bothered him. In the past, the military had rules against such behavior. Was no one enforcing it now?

Glancing around the patio and back yard, he didn't see Emily. Major Williams was over talking to a group of soldiers by the pool. All of them looked to the officer with respect, which made Jake wonder if he was giving them an order. But then they all laughed and one clapped the officer on the shoulder.

Making his way across the patio, Jake set Angie's drink on the bar and went in search of Emily, finding her inside in the kitchen. It was cool in the house meaning Emily was running the air conditioning, something they had asked people to be careful with in order to conserve power. He saw Angie coming down the steps from upstairs and hid around a corner until the tall woman went back outside. The scent of her perfume lingered on the air after she passed.

Jake quietly entered the kitchen. The sound of the dishwasher running hummed in the background. There were food trays all over the counters and dirty dishes waiting to be washed on island in the middle of the kitchen. It all looked so normal. Again, Jake wondered if he was dreaming and the last nine months hadn't happened.

"Quite the party you got here." He spoke up to Emily as she worked setting up another tray of food. She must not have heard him enter and jumped slightly. He tried to not take too much enjoyment in surprising her.

"Well, it was really Mike's idea. And you wanted me to stay on his good side. What better way to get in more with the military than throw them a party where they can show off?" Emily glanced at him and continued working.

Jake suspected it wasn't just the military showing off.

"And I wanted to do something nice for the girls." Emily was laying vegetables on a tray. Another one was already full. He saw peppers, celery, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. He wondered how much of it came from Jericho. It didn't look much like the stunted vegetables they were getting from their hastily thrown together greenhouses and indoor gardens.

"They seem to be doing fairly well." Jake said, glancing out the window where he could see Krissie splashing water from the pool at one of the soldiers, who then pushed her into the pool. She screamed but came up laughing and pulled the guy into the pool with her. There was a wave of laughter outside. He saw Angie walking around, likely looking for him. "And I noticed you told Angie that I was single."

"Just telling her the story you want everyone to know," Emily said with a sly smile, twisting the words he had told her long ago when he had asked her to keep his and Heather's relationship a secret.

"Come on, you did that on purpose and you know it." Jake accused. He knew how Emily worked. She had encouraged Angie to become interested in Jake, though Jake didn't think he deserved the attention. He wondered if Emily had told her about all his bad habits and mistakes as well.

"Just because I'm helping you and Robert Hawkins doesn't mean that I have to be nice to you, not after what you did." Emily glared at him. She wiped her hands off on a towel. Yep, she was still mad at him. "Besides, Angie is quite beautiful. What hot-blooded guy would turn her down?"

_I could. _ Though she had a point. In the past, he would have been chasing after a woman like that with the rest of them. And now that one of them was obviously interested in him, he wasn't sure he was interested in return, despite the physical attraction. When had that changed?

Emily added. "Those soldiers have been tripping over themselves to get her to even talk to them all day and you walk in the door and it's like none of them even exist."

Jake quickly replied. "She's been through a lot. Not exactly the best time to get in a relationship. And I'm not available."

"No?" Emily inquired. She leaned back against the kitchen island and crossed her arms defensively across her chest.

"No, and you know it." Jake felt his anger rising. How jealous was Emily of Heather? "And I don't appreciate you talking about me with them like you did."

"They wanted to know about the hero who had saved them. Your name is all over town, Jake, especially since you killed my father." Emily sounded exasperated.

"I didn't kill your father."

"You pretty much did!" She retorted, her voice growing louder. Jake was reminded of their arguments in the past when they often argued like children on a playground. Things hadn't changed much over the years.

"That's not fair." Jake yelled back. "You knew why I did what I did!"

Emily just gave him that usual doubtful raise of her eyebrows and said nothing. For her, it was as good as a reply as they both knew whatever he said wouldn't change her point of view, or her habit of digging at him however she could.

A long silence hung in the air. Time to change the subject. "So what has Major Williams been talking to folks about?"

Emily relaxed with a heavy sigh. "All kinds of things, talking about the new government and the constitutional convention they've been having, and how their new government will be better than the old one."

"Bullshit, in other words." Jake stated.

"Pretty much, but these people are gobbling it all up. All they want is for things to get back to normal, and he and the President are promising that."

"Yeah, but at what price?" Jake thought about the pageant. The United States had stood for freedom for centuries. What would people be willing to put up with for security and normalcy? "And is that what you want?"

Jake had to ask. He saw how much Emily was enjoying this part she was playing. What if Emily bailed on him and Hawkins? She had become an essential part of their plan. Jake didn't have much reason to be down at the outpost anymore and would be relying on her to fill him in on whatever she overheard. If she could get a job in Cheyenne, she should be able to hear more, especially if it was helping Major Williams.

Emily sighed. "Someday. But not the 'normal' that they are promising. If you're worried that I'm gonna fall for their pretty words and promises, it's not going to happen. I remember my history, Jake. This isn't a country I want to live in, especially with the things I overhear at the outpost."

Her blues eyes met his. Blues eyes like her father and full of determination. He was proud of her at that moment.

Emily continued. "Things are getting tense with the troop deployments. They are going to leave a crew here and still use the outpost for training so I should be good for a while yet to keep working there. They want me to help with their records still. And Mike is still asking about Hawkins, even asking a few people here. They still want him bad and he's frustrated as he hasn't made much progress lately." Emily stood up a little straighter and glanced outside as if worried that they might be overheard.

"I bet."

"He did say something about looking for something Hawkins was looking for here in Jericho still. " Emily stated. Jake hadn't told Emily about the package only saying that Hawkins had proof that the Cheyenne government wanted to destroy hidden here in Jericho and that was one of the things they were still looking for. He couldn't imagine what she would think if she knew that their proof was a nuclear bomb. "That's why Mike keeps coming back here to Jericho. Well, that and to see me."

"I'm sure it's more of the latter." Jake retorted sharply and realized that might have sounded like he was jealous. Maybe he was a little bit. The major was giving Emily things he had never been able to give her, in the middle of chaos no less. The officer had a career in the military and was more stable in his life than Jake ever was, even if he was working for a questionable government.

Emily hadn't missed his reaction and she smiled slyly at him. Damn.

"So I take it he helped with the food? And the booze?" Jake had to ask. When word got out about the kind of food they had here, there might be problems.

"Some of it. Some of my neighbors have helped out as well." Emily replied.

Jake tried to figure out how they might have helped. He knew there was a good deal of secret trading still going on in and out of town, especially by Dale Turner and others that worked for him. Russell told him that you could buy most anything nowadays if you had certain valuables worth trading. But it worried him more that the military had access to such good food. Why weren't they sharing it with them, even just in trade? Instead, they were being requested to send food to Cheyenne with little in return. It didn't sit well with him.

"So, did Robert Hawkins agree to let me come on your next trip?" Emily asked. "I want to tell him about the job opportunity Mike told me about."

"Yes," he answered reluctantly. He still didn't like this idea of Emily going to Cheyenne. "What job?"

"They're looking for an administrative assistant for the Deputy Director of Homeland Security's office. They might even need one for the Director's office too. The woman they have now is pregnant."

"That would put you-" Panic hit Jake. His heart pounded.

"Working for Valente." Emily answered for him, looking sure of herself. She knew who Valente was. He had filled in Emily that they suspected that Thomas Valente had been involved with the bombs and to be on the lookout for any news or correspondence from him at the outpost, but he hadn't told her that Hawkins had worked with him before. She occasionally had information on Valente but not enough to clue them in on what he might be up to.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Em," Jake protested. Jonah's words came back to him. _Take care of my little girl._ "It could be dangerous."

"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." Emily lifted her chin to stare at him defiantly. "And Mike will be there most of the time too. He's spending most of his time working at the office with a special team sifting through surveillance data and records."

But Major Williams may just be who he needed to protect her from. Not for the first time, he wondered how much of it was acting for Emily in her relationship with the officer. Looking at how he had gone all out for her party today and at the many gifts he saw about the house, he knew it was a valid question. Emily still liked her things, belongings her father and Jake had never been able to provide for her. She liked her security and prestige. Emily looked genuinely happy today, especially with Major Williams. Jake wondered what would happen if they kept going down the road that they were. If they caught Valente or whoever was responsible for the bombs, what would happen to Major Williams and Colonel Hoffman? And what would they do if they figured out Emily was spying on them? At least here in Jericho, he could keep an eye on her and others could too.

"You sure about leaving Jericho if you have to?" he asked her. Emily always hated going far from home for too long. She liked to travel but had always wanted to settle in Jericho, raise a family and be someone important in the community. This job in Cheyenne might take a while. Maybe he could dissuade her using this tactic.

"No, but I'll do it if I have to," she replied. "It won't be for long, right?"

"I don't know how long it will take." Hawkins always said these things took time.

Emily gave him a searching look. "Well, you'll be coming to Cheyenne, too, right?"

"I guess." Jake reluctantly admitted. Hawkins kept talking about it when they met. But was it necessary? The thought of leaving Jericho terrified him as well, which was ironic since he had never intended to stay long when he had come back in the first place. He had been planning on getting some money and running way again. Then the bombs had happened. And now, his hometown had come to mean so much more to him in the past year, especially after all they had been through together. They still had a lot to do yet in their struggle to survive. They had to get through the summer and fall harvest and prepare for another winter again. Would they have enough fuel and food? And they still needed medicine and other supplies. It was peaceful now but with Ravenwood here, the military moving out and the threat of civil war, they needed to keep Jericho strong with good leadership, especially now that his father was gone. He wasn't sure he could move on like Hawkins wanted him to, not with only Gray and Eric to look after things. His mother still needed him and the town kept looking at him as some sort of informal leader. And then there was Heather. Their relationship was too new and he wanted to explore it more and see if it could continue to be as wonderful as the past months had been. As much as he wanted to get to the bottom of the attacks, in a way he was thankful that these things did take time, as Rob had warned him. He needed the time to make sure Jericho and Heather would still be okay if he had to leave.

"Well, then it's probably good for me to move up to Cheyenne so we can finally get to the bottom of what's going on, right?" Emily offered naively.

"It's not going to be that easy, Em." Jake told her, his discomfort increasing. Emily had no idea what they were really up against. Those involved with the bombs had been killing to cover their tracks. What if they found about his connection with Hawkins? What would they do if they guessed that he and Emily weren't exactly sincere in their motives in wanting to work for their government? How much acting would Jake have to do if he did get a job with them? And could he do it, when everything he was coming to know about this government grated against his nerves and everything his father and grandfather had ever believed in?

"Well just have to see then, won't we? Help me take these outside." Emily ordered, pointing at the trays.

Conversation over, Jake got the message. She was always good at driving their conversations.

Used to helping her like this, Jake helped her carry the trays outside and set them out on the tables. There was still a good deal of food left yet, including hamburgers and hot dogs. He wondered if the rest of Jericho was eating so well today. Food was still not plentiful and they rationed food at the distribution center near City Hall.

As Jake looked around the party, he realized that he had gotten mixed up with the soldiers for too long while Major Williams and Lt. Brady had been mingling with several of Jericho's prominent businessmen. He would have to work his way back into that crowd, curious at what things the major was saying. Knowing some of these Jericho residents, they wanted to know when things would get back to normal again, whether they could get their businesses working again and when it would be safe to travel.

He checked and made sure Angie's cup was refilled at the bar and left it there. There was a number of liquor bottles at the bar that were being used by the bartender to make mixed drinks or give it straight up. The bartender offered to pour him a drink. Though he was tempted to taste some real liquor, Jake chose water instead. He needed a clear head. He followed Emily over to where Major Williams was talking to Stu Long, one of the business owners in Jericho. Stu owned a chain of grain and feed supply stores in western Kansas that also supplied seed and fertilizer to farms. He had been trying to stay in business since the bombs and had been glad to get involved with the charter and hopefully get enough goods to resume trading and selling in Jericho and in other nearby towns. Before the bombs, Stu had done quite well in his businesses and investments. He and his wife owned one of the nicer houses in the Pines.

"Hey, Jake," Stu greeted him as he walked up. The man reached out his hand to Jake. "I was just telling Major Williams how hopeful I am about this charter of yours."

"Indeed?" Jake shook the man's hand firmly.

"Emily's been telling me all about it and how people are starting to turn out to help out now that they are getting paid for their work." Major Williams jumped in. "I take it's working well?"

"It's a little too preliminary to tell yet, but we're hopeful." Jake replied honestly. So far, the government hadn't been too interested in their charter. He hoped they wouldn't get too interested, honestly. They might need to hide how well it was working and the amount of trade goods and food that resulted from it.

"Annie wants to start a garden now." Stu laughed, nodding at his wife standing next to him. Jake vaguely remembered her as the older sister of someone he had gone to high school with, which would put her in her late thirties. But she had the makeup and outfit that made her look years younger. She looked like she hadn't worked an hour of hard work in all her life. Jake wondered what Heather would have thought of women like this.

His wife spoke up. "It's great! I can use our charter credits to help pay someone to put it in and take care of it too. We'll be able to have our own fresh vegetables then."

Jake forced himself to not look annoyed. They were defeating the entire purpose of the charter. Many of these guests present today were some of the better-off couples in town. They too had been effected by the bombs, some of them with businesses and investments that were hit hard without any connection to the outside world. Some of them had been out of town when the bombs went off and no one was sure of their status. Others were struggling to get by like the rest of them. There was a lot of gossip and drama going on in their circle from what Jake had heard from his mother. He had hoped that the charter would get some more help from these people, but it looked like they hadn't gotten the message. Then again, like any free society, they were free to use their credits as they wanted.

"There you are!" a voice called from behind Jake and he found a slender and tan arm reaching over his shoulder to grab the drink from his hand. He could tell from the scent of her overdosed perfume who it was.

"Hey, Angie." Emily said with a smile, looking amused.

"Ugh, water. How can you drink this stuff?" Angie handed the glass back to Jake. "Now where did you get with my drink?"

"It's over there." Jake pointed at the bar and didn't move to go get it for her. Fortunately, Angie wandered off in pursuit of her drink. Emily gave him a look that told him he was being rude.

"She is a little much, isn't she?" Major Williams chuckled at Jake.

"Who, Angie?" Stu asked. "She's great. She said she's going to put on a modeling class for the ladies."

Emily just kept on smiling. Jake shot her an incredulous look. With all the help they needed in town and they were having modeling classes?

"Well, it could be worse. It could be pole dancing." Emily added.

"Hey, pole dancing is great exercise. " Stu's wife said, then she turned to Jake. "That was a good thing you did, saving them. And Emily for taking these poor women in. They'd been through so much."

Jake couldn't help but think about Heather and all she had been through. And his mother who had lost his father and April. And Mimi who didn't even know if her family was still alive. There were a few widows in town, too. Yet these women had probably been sexually abused, something that couldn't always be fixed by time. But if it made Emily feel better to take care of some of the women that her father had used and abused then he couldn't object. At least Emily was finally getting involved in something in town.

"I thought just a few of them were staying here." Jake commented.

Emily shook her head. "Three of them are here, Krissie, Angie, and Tammy. One's at the Morris house, but Lauren is here most of the time anyway. Jenny went out to stay with the Jacksons and Shelly is staying here in town with Reverend Thomas and his wife."

"I'm checking into moving them to Cheyenne." Major Williams informed them. "We can get them counseling and better jobs."

"We have those here." Jake objected. He knew his mother had helped set up counseling sessions with Reverend Thomas and a trained psychologist in town. And they always needed extra hands in town. Some of the farms were having trouble keeping up with planting and tending their crops and gardens.

"Of course," The major nodded at him, giving him a steady stare. "We just want to give them options."

"They'll have plenty of options here." Jake shot back, his voice betraying his annoyance.

The major kept staring, raising his chin defensively at Jake.

Stu cleared his throat, no doubt sensing the tension. Emily gave Jake a warning glance. Eric had told him that Gray had asked Lt. Brady to stop encouraging people to move to Cheyenne. He wondered if the message had been passed on. Of course, the flyers he had seen being handed out at the parade today hadn't been good either. They were encouraging people to move to Cheyenne to be part of building the great new government and capital city.

"Need a refill, darling?" Stu spoke to his wife, reaching for her glass. He looked eager to be away from them.

"Yes, dear." His wife gave him a smile. "But I think I'll go get some more of that fruit salad." She looked at Emily. "How ever did you find oranges and pineapple?"

Emily just smiled mysteriously and it was Jake's turning to give her a concerned look.

Jake turned his attention back to Major Williams. He needed to cool things down between them. He nodded over to where a group of soldiers were laughing and drinking as they talked and flirted with several women. "Soldiers are having a good time."

Major Williams followed his glance. "Yeah, they don't get much R&R anymore and probably won't in the near future."

"You're moving out then?" Jake inquired. He saw that one of the soldiers had stopped to talk to Angie, preventing her from coming back to them right away. Good, he had been hoping to finally talk to the major alone, or with Emily present, it didn't really matter.

"They are, yes." The major replied.

Something Jake had overheard earlier had perked his interest. "So are you guys placing military contractors in most of the towns now?"

Major Williams looked at him closely. "Some, but not all. Just the towns that need them."

"And we do?" He asked. Emily shot Jake a warning glance. Jake hated having to rely on the military being here. He wanted the border patrol to take over again. People were already distrustful of the military. Knowing Ravenwood, it was going to get much worse.

The major lowered his voice. "Until we find the terrorists and as long as there's no more hostilities with New Bern. But mostly they will be patrolling the roads like we have been and keeping the area clear of gangs."

"Did you send Ravenwood to New Bern as well?" Ravenwood had done worse damage in New Bern. He couldn't imagine what it would be like if they went there as well.

That made the major cough uncomfortably. "Uh, no. They chose to not have any protection."

"What? You're pulling out of there?" Jake recalled that New Bern had been placed under martial law for the past several months. "Not even any other contracting company? Briarthorn? Alpha Point?" Jake had heard of a couple other military contractors that were still in operation and working for the Cheyenne government. Maybe they wouldn't like Ravenwood, but they could get someone else. He looked at Emily but she looked away. Obviously she knew about this and hadn't told him. Jake recalled that Eric had told him it was either Ravenwood or no one protecting them. Was this what he had been getting at?

Major Williams shook his head. "They took a vote and voted us out. We told them the risk and that we might not be able to protect them if anything happened. A few other towns have done the same thing. With most of the gangs shut down around here, it's been better and likely the local law enforcement can handle things now."

He was intrigued at the thought that other towns might not trust this military or new government either. He wondered if he should make some trips to go out and talk to a few of the nearby towns, especially if Emily could find out who some of them were. Jericho was a fair distance from many other towns except for New Bern so they hadn't had much chance to interact with other towns. But New Bern being so close still presented its own problems. "So what are we going to do if New Bern decides they want to come give a little retribution for what happened?"

"That's why you'll have Ravenwood here." The major replied. "Look, we'll be trying Constantino and a few other criminals soon and using them to show that we won't stand for hostilities in our country. If they give you any problem, just let Goetz know and he'll deal with it."

Jake wasn't so sure about that nor the way that Goetz tended to deal with anything. Jake started to protest but Emily gave him a look. He tried to calm down. People in Jericho had wanted revenge against New Bern for attacking them and killing so many people. Russell had said that New Bern felt the same way. Up until now, it had only been the military keeping anyone from doing anything with occasional skirmishes between a few groups of people outside of town. Jake also feared that come fall and winter, they could find themselves in the same situation again, with New Bern or other towns that got the same idea, needing food and willing to do whatever it took to get it. Heather's idea of hiding food was starting to sound better all the time, especially if they had a good harvest as the farmers were predicting. Many had said that they had planted plowed and planted new and extra fields. Any other spare land had been divided into plots for residents to use as gardens. They might be able to trade food too, to help other towns to get by as well as to get other goods they needed as long as the government didn't find out how much food they really had. He would rather give it to other towns, even New Bern, to help them out then let the government have it.

Emily turned to Jake. "Jake, do you mind if a borrow a horse from the ranch?"

The change of subject caught him off guard. "What?"

Emily stared at him.

He stared back. "You know you're welcome to go riding at the ranch whenever you want. Or if the women would like to, just let me know and I'll come help show them how-"

"You know, I've wanted to go and visit Aunt Betty over in Mingo." Emily gave him a pointed look.

Jake tried to figure out what Emily was wanting from this. He vaguely knew of her aunt, her mother's sister, enough to know that they weren't that close. Emily's mother had been mostly disowned by their family due to Jonah. So what was Emily up to? "No, it's not a good idea for you to go that far alone."

"We can spare a few trucks to take you there on one of the patrols. Or Ravenwood can." Major Williams looked concerned.

"Darling, I don't want to make you go out of your way." Emily smiled sweetly at the major. "Besides, I want to stay a few days and see if I can help her out on the farm. I've barely seen her in the past couple of months."

"How far is it to her farm?" The major asked.

Jake looked at Emily in surprise. She had yet to want to come out and help on the farms, not even at Stanley's.

"About ten miles. An easy trip on horseback." Emily answered. "I'm sure Jake wouldn't mind going with me."

Major Williams glanced at Jake suspiciously but Jake just shrugged unknowing in that silent way that said 'Women, who knows?'. The major asked. "When?"

"Whenever I can get caught up on things at the outpost enough for me to get away." Emily replied. "Or if you don't mind Angie coming down to help out too, perhaps sooner."

It finally sank in what Emily was up to. She was setting things up to cover for their trip to meet with Hawkins. As the realization hit him, Jake met Emily's gaze and glared at her, anger rising. He didn't like her calling the shots on something like this without asking him first. They should have planned it out. Now he didn't have a choice but to play along.

"If you're sure." Major Williams looked worried.

Emily smiled up at the man. "I am. Jake said he'd have some spare time coming up. We might even be able to ask about any crime problems going on in the area."

Jake cleared his throat in warning at that. He wasn't as confident in Emily's ability to plot and fudge the truth that much. He, on the other hand, had spent a lifetime at it.

"Thanks, Jake. I'll let you know when I'm ready to go." Emily gave Major Williams an endearing smile as she took him by the arm. "Now, I could use your help getting some of the men to help move the television out here."

As they walked away, Jake wasn't sure if he should be angry with Emily or not. They could have come up with a better excuse, but hers would help cover her disappearance if she did go with him to meet with Hawkins the next time. And it would help cover his absence as well. He just hoped it would be enough, that the military wouldn't check up on it and follow them. They could also swing out of the way to stop by her aunt's and have her cover for them, if needed. It would take extra time, however, probably an extra day and time away from Heather. Cursing at himself, he realized he had neatly fallen in with what Emily had done.

A half hour later, after talking with more people, Jake found himself alone at the bar refilling his glass of water. He looked around and found Emily again introducing Major Williams to two new people who had just walked out onto the patio, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. Sidney Brooks was the banker in town, owner of the Kansas Liberty bank branch. Jake was reminded of his conversation with Goetz earlier talking about the deposit of cash made for Hawkins' purchase of the Thompson house. The bank had been shut down since the bombs had gone off and the family had been struggling to get by without another means of income. Mr. Brooks had been outspoken against the charter, but agreed to it in the end. The Brooks had an old but expensive house on the west side of town. Jake wanted to hear what they were talking about with Major Williams and took a step in their direction.

A tall, willowy blonde blocked his path. She had taken off her sunglasses and Jake could finally look her in the eyes, eyes highlighted by expertly applied makeup. Or at least he thought it was makeup. Maybe she just naturally looked that good.

"So, I hear you and Emily used to be quite the item." Angie told him, sitting down on a nearby patio chair and patting the seat next to her.

"That was long ago." Jake reluctantly sat down, casually looking to where the Brooks, Emily and Major Williams were talking. But he also wanted to know more about this woman. She had had a gun this morning at the ceremony. Was there more to her or not? _Windows_ as Hawkins had told him. Maybe he could finally get her to talk about herself. She had brushed off his questions before.

"Indeed." Angie said looking from him to where Emily was clinging to Major Williams. "Looks like she found somebody new. Too bad about her fiance, Roger."

Jake looked at her in surprise. "She told you about that?"

"We've had a few slumber parties and Truth or Dare contests." She laughed. "And trust me, they didn't want to hear my truths."

"I thought only teenagers did that." Jake gave a half-laugh. He did wonder how much Emily had been doing for all these women, especially in such a short amount of time. Then again, there wasn't much to do in town especially if you were single. He knew that well.

"Just some girl-bonding. I think Emily just needed someone to talk to, someone that might understand." Angie sighed. "Not much else to do in this town. This party is the biggest thing happening since we've been here."

They hadn't even been here two weeks yet. Just wait until they figured out that not much happened here in Jericho. He used to hate that, but more and more, he was finding he liked the peace and quieter times, especially when he could spend it with Heather. "And it will probably be the only thing for some time, I assure you. It's really quiet around here."

She smiled mischievously. "So I hear. Then we'll just have to make it a little more fun."

Jake wasn't sure he wanted to know what that was. He could only imagine what life might have been like for Angie if she had been a model as they said. Big parties, exotic shooting locations, men vying for her attention. Maybe he could finally get her to talk about her past and how she ended up her in Jericho. "I heard you were a model?"

Angie rolled her eyes. "Was a model. Well, even before the bombs. Retired now. If you're not fifteen, it's hard to get any good gigs. The best we do at my age is hang on the arm of some celebrity or sports star when they go to an event."

"Come on, you can't even be twenty five." Jake guessed and hoped he didn't offend her. He was never good at guessing women's ages, though Heather had been amused when he had once teased her about her age.

"Thirty, in June." Angie replied. "And trust me, that's over the hill in my line of work. I haven't gotten a modeling contract in New York or LA in three years. Well, four years now."

Jake asked, curious. "So, how did you end up in Jericho, Kansas with Jonah? Were you traveling on the day of the bombs?"

Angie nodded. "My agent set me up with this great shoot." She began then stopped, her eyes filling with emotion. "Oh come on, you don't want to hear this."

"I do." Jake replied. There was something about her. He needed to know and understand what she had been through. They hadn't heard much news about what people had gone through except for the few refugees that came to town, the occasional out-of-town visitor and what little they heard on the radio news. The look in her eyes told him that she needed someone to talk to. He had been worried there might be something more about her, something he couldn't trust, but that doubt was quickly fading. He had never been a good listener before, but the past months had slowly been changing that, especially after his time spent with Heather and his time spent at City Hall working to keep the peace and settle disputes. He wondered if his father's wisdom and patience had been rubbing off on him after all.

"No one else ever has." She said with a heavy sigh. "You'll just think I'm vain and spoiled. Plus some of it is pretty bad."

"Try me." Jake could see how it might not be easy. People in Jericho tended to be pretty conventional and usually didn't like to hear about the evils of the world. It was one reason why Jake was working so hard to protect Jericho.

"All right, but I warned you." Angie took a big swallow from her glass before continuing. "My agent set me up with this great shoot. You know, we have to take whatever we can get. I was supposed to be promoting this new brand of age-defying moisture cream, the shoot set in Yosemite, or was that Yellowstone? Something about the mineral waters of nature. Anyway, things went nuts about an hour after we took off from the airport in Denver. I really hated flying, always thinking the worst was going to happen, especially with those small planes."

Jake knew that feeling but only when he wasn't the one doing the flying. His fear of flying evaporated when he was the pilot and controlled the plane. But it was a common fear, feeling helpless and doomed if anything happened.

"Jerry, my agent, tried to keep me calm but I think I fainted when the pilot said he had lost the Denver airport and couldn't get the radio tower to respond. So, he turned the plane around to head back and see if he had just gotten out of range of the signal or something, and that's when we saw it."

"The mushroom cloud?" Jake guessed.

Angie nodded and swallowed hard. "I wasn't even sure what it was until the co-pilot started to freak out. Jerry explained it to me. They flipped through the radio and it was nuts, all kinds of pilots talking, some of them saying they were trying to do an emergency landing because of the damage to their planes. A few said they saw other planes going down and fire breaking out across Denver. I heard their voices and panic. I heard screaming as some of them went down. I freaked out. Jerry must have slipped something in my drink."

She took a big drink from her glass. "When I woke up, we were emergency landing on some highway in Wyoming. The plane had damage to the fuel line or something and the co-pilot said we could probably find parts for it in an auto shop. So we walked for miles looking for help and finally found a small town and we told them what we had seen. They didn't believe us. The phones weren't working, nor was television or radio. The pilot couldn't find the parts we needed. So we stole a car and started driving to Denver, hoping to find out what really happened, thinking it was just a joke or something, but the closer we got to the suburbs..."

Angie started to break down, her voice hoarse, tears gathering in her eyes. Jake handed her a napkin to wipe her tears and she dabbed her eyes. "Thanks. Sorry, it's hard remembering."

"Sorry. You don't have to tell me anymore." He laid a hand on hers, but she brushed it away.

"No, I need to. You need to know what its like out there. Emily said you're working on trying to help things here in Jericho. If you can save any other women like you did us, you need to hear this."

_Great, rescuer of women to add to his hero title._

"There were miles and miles of cars in both directions the closer we got to Denver but no one knew what was going on. None of the radio stations were working, nor cell phones or anything. It was bad the closer we got to Denver and eventually we came across the National Guard. They made us turn back and told us to go to a gathering spot outside of Fort Collin. The pilot and co-pilot wanted to stay and help so they did. So Jerry and I left them but got lost on back roads and ended up east on Interstate 70. People on the way told us the fallout was coming and to keep heading east. So we kept driving and driving until the car was almost out of gas. We came to this town called New Berry?"

"New Bern." Jake knew most of the towns between here and Denver. He was curious to hear what happened in New Bern, however. Ted and Heather had only mentioned that it was bad, but most of it mirrored what had happened here in Jericho.

"Yeah that, and the Mayor said we could stay there. I sold all my jewelry and clothes for a place to stay and food. We had a room in a hotel, but it didn't even have running water most of the time and the people running it disappeared one day saying they were driving to Oklahoma. They kept having these big town meetings where they were trying to find out what was going on. The sheriff was having a tough time keeping things under control, especially 'cause the mayor wouldn't let him do anything and told him to just wait until the government came to help them. Then the power went out and someone started bombing the place and I told Jerry we had to get out of there. Jerry started working on fixing our car just in case, stealing and trading for parts."

That had to have been when Ravenwood came to New Bern, Jake figured. They had gone there after Jericho. Ted had told him some stories about New Bern and their months after the bombs and Heather had too from what she had heard. It had been worse for New Bern since they had a larger population and lacked strong leadership.

"Jerry said it wasn't safe on the roads and we kept waiting, another day and another, and I was going crazy. They were running out of food, even though they had a food drop and it was getting cold. The Sheriff took over and things got nasty in town. We couldn't walk anywhere or do anything without being harassed or questioned. They didn't say much in that town about what was really going on. The Sheriff wanted everyone to stay at home, saying he would protect everyone from now on. And they weren't really nice to us outsiders, saying we were eating up their food. Then they said something about people and women starting to disappear, especially the pretty ones."

That was the slavery Heather had heard about. He didn't want to think what may have happened to Heather if she hadn't escaped. He had his brother to thank for that. But how many women had Constantino sold into slavery?

Angie was still talking. "It was so cold and dark and there was nothing to do. I already read every book and magazine I could find. I couldn't walk around anymore. I was going stir crazy. One night, I couldn't take it anymore and stole a gas can and started to drive off in our car and Jerry came with me. I started driving any direction, I didn't care where. Then we ran out of gas again and a truck stopped, I thought to help us. But they shot him."

Angie gulped, fighting back tears. "They shot Jerry and took me. They left him for dead. He was an ass, but no one deserved to be left dying like that. It was pretty stupid, driving off like that. I know I should have stayed in town, despite how terrible it was, but as my mama used to tell me, I never stop to think when I went on one of these tirades of mine and it would get me in trouble one day. And she was right."

"You didn't know what it was really like out there." Jake said. They barely knew even here in Jericho. But fortunately, his father had been wise enough to encourage people to stay in town, remain calm and conserve gas and food until they could find out more. He had kept people calm and focused when they needed it. He wasn't sure it would have been safe for Angie in New Bern either, especially after what Heather had told him about what Constantino had been up to.

"They sold me to another group of men and since then, I was moved from place to place, being sold and traded like a horse, used like one too. Some of the men were rough, even some of the women."

"Women?"

"Even women like a nice piece of ass sometimes." She said without missing a beat. Fortunately, no one was within earshot to overhear their conversation, though there were a few curious glances in their direction.

"And you just did what they wanted?" Jake asked, trying to not be too horrified at the direction this conversation had taken. It was too easy to turn a blind eye to what really went on sometimes in the world.

"Hey, I was a Playboy Bunny for a year. I learned what life was all about rather quick. That's what men really want. A blow job by a good-looking woman and then showing her off afterward like a prized trophy. It still worked the same. Keep 'em happy, look pretty and they feed you and take care of you."

Jake shook his head in disbelief This woman had guts, but she was also smart enough to use what she had to to stay alive. He found himself believing her, despite his earlier suspicions. Hawkins had him suspicious of everyone nowadays.

"There's a whole sex slavery trading racket going on out there. Auctions, BDSM, sex shows, gang rape, bestiality, child sex slaves, any perversion you could ever think of. I only saw a little bit of it, but I heard stories from others I was locked up with. And no one's doing a damn thing to stop it. Even the military turns a bind eye to it. Some of them are even involved in it. I thought they were going to save us finally when they searched a truck I was in with a bunch of other women but after a few rounds of free tricks, they just let our owners continue on. I finally got tired of it so at the trading post in Colorado Springs, I started getting testy with my latest owner and he thought he'd get back at me by trading me off to some guy from a remote town in Kansas. That's how I first met Jonah. He had kind, blue eyes. After taking me for a test ride, he offered to take me in trade for car parts."

Jake felt revulsion filling him at her words. He could imagine pretty bad things, but actually considering that they were happening in his own country terrified him. And the military wasn't even stopping it? He wondered if Jonah had been trying to save these women somehow. He liked to think so, but now he'd never know. Jonah was known for taking in loners and strays and using them in his business, just like he had taken Jake under his wing. Jake had just wizened up and stopped when the crime had gotten more than his conscience could stomach. But no wonder why Angie didn't feel safe talking about this, especially with Emily around. Emily always hated hearing about the bad things her father did. Jake asked. "How long were you at Jonah's?"

"A couple of weeks? I don't know for sure. I mostly lost all track of time. Most of the girls were new to all this, so I showed them what they needed to do to survive, to look pretty, how to.. well, you know." Angie swallowed hard.

Jake nodded. Jonah used to have hookers and strippers over, but he had usually kept things civil. Maybe things had changed especially if Jonah didn't have many ways of rewarding his men. He could only imagine what she and the others had had to do. Men were pigs and men not worrying about consequences would only be worse. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

"Well, my mama always said I had more beauty than brains. I just did what I had to survive. Anyone else would have done the same." She took a deep breath.

Jake thought of Heather. What if Heather had been forced to go through what Angie had gone through? The thought horrified him. She had almost ended up like Angie.

"Tammy had it bad. I think she was a virgin when they brought her in." Angie nodded at the young teenager sitting by the pool. Jake had noticed that she was fairly withdrawn, barely talking to anyone. "Emily's been trying to talk to her, make her feel better about herself, reminding her that it wasn't her fault and she will get through this. But I think it's been just as hard on Emily knowing her father was involved in it to begin with."

Jake took a drink from his glass, not realizing how dry his mouth had become. His anger had returned, anger at the men that had done this, at Jonah being a part of it, for the terrorists and those who had organized them who had bombed the country and left it in this hell. Hawkins words about why they were doing what they were doing came back to him full force. _Those behind the bombs must be held accountable and brought to light. _Order needed to be restored and it looked like their new government wasn't making any big efforts to do so. The words from the pageant earlier came back to him. 'We the people' was what the government and their country was supposed to be about. But so far, this Cheyenne government seemed more interested in protecting their territory, bickering with the East and building their new government in Cheyenne. And 'we the people' were just sitting back and letting it happen. If people were more interested in struggling to survive, they were less likely to worry about what the government was doing. By the time they were interested, it might be too late and the government would already have too big of a foothold, with a new constitution and the military to defend it. Did he and Hawkins even have a chance to stop it, to prove that someone in this government had been involved with the bombs?

"If I could, I'd kill the men that treated her like that." Angie stated with such passion that Jake didn't doubt that she would.

"Well Jonah is already dead." Jake reminded her. He looked over where Tammy as sitting quietly by the pool still. She hadn't moved much. Krissie seemed to be doing okay as he saw her laughing with a soldier. But women reacted differently to what happened to them, many times hiding or covering up what they had gone through. Heather had.

Angie shook her head. "No, Jonah wasn't bad, rather sweet actually. Kept calling me his Barbie. It was that Trace guy who Jonah left in charge most of the time. He was mean and was hard to deal with. Liked all the kinky stuff. I tried to keep him happy but it wasn't good enough. He wanted the young girls, sometimes two or three of them at a time. He picked on Tammy a lot."

"Trace is dead too." Trace's look of shock as he was shot flashed through Jake's mind. He should have felt sorry for the man for the way he had died so suddenly, but he wasn't.

"I know, good riddance. But if I ever see a few of these guys, I will shoot them. They didn't have to behave like they did, especially after I taught the girls to do what they really wanted. Some of them brought perversion to a whole new level." Angie shuddered.

"Is that why you carry a gun?" Jake asked. Maybe he should be glad that the military had taken most of the men.

She nodded. "That and I was told that as nice as it is here, it still isn't safe. I'm not going back to that world. I'm not going to be bought and sold and used. I used to be so lost before, just letting the men use me, Jerry, modeling agencies, the men I was a trophy for. Now, I'm not going to sit back and let the world go by without trying to do something to help make it a better place."

Jake knew that sentiment all too well. He was amazed that this woman had gotten through what she had. Then again, the bombs were changing everyone's lives, his included. People had amazing reserves of strength when they needed it to survive. But what kind of long term effect would all this have? Tammy, Heather, and many others had gone through so much. How much more would they have to go through? And what would happen if the rumored Civil War did happen? Innocent people were the first to suffer during war. He shook his head. He didn't want to think about that. "So what will you do now? We need all the hands we can get here in Jericho."

"I'll do what I always do. I'll get by. And if it's teachin' modeling to a bunch of snotty-nosed small town bitches, or out digging in the dirt to plant food, I will."

Jake had to admit, her entire behavior had thrown him off, but he only guessed that it was instinctive to flirt like she did. After hearing her story, he could empathize with her more, barely able to imagine what it was like being treated like she had been. But she had gotten through and was free now, as much as you could call their enclosed freedom here in Jericho. At least Jake had had a small part in making that happen. His respect for her went up a notch. He had stereotyped her as a typical beauty, air-headed and simple minded, but he had had a feeling that there had been more to this woman. If Heather hadn't come into his life and shown him that there was more to women and a good relationship than just living day-to-day, he probably would have never taken the chance to get to know Angie better. _Everyone had a story to tell_ Heather had said to him once when they had been talking about people that they had met in their lives, both the good and the bad. Jake had had more bad than good, especially after his trips abroad.

"Or working at the outpost?" Jake asked, remembering what Emily had said to Major Williams earlier about Angie coming to help out.

"I've done some typing and filing before, it can't be too tough, right?" Angie smiled and winked at him knowingly. "Or, just keeping my ears open. Now that one I know, I used to do that all the time. It's amazing what people will say when they think you're just a dumb blonde. I used to type up things I overheard at parties and pass them on to Jerry. I think he sold them to gossip rags and newspapers."

So Angie knew that she was also going to be spying for them. Jake fell silent, wondering how he was going to protect both Emily and Angie if it came to it.

"I probably scared you off with all that, didn't I?" Angie looked away, as if ashamed.

"No." Jake instinctively reached out and squeezed her hand in a show of support.

She gave a long sigh and took a deep drink, tossing her head back. He thought she looked more relaxed now, though he could feel her trembling slightly beneath his touch. As his mother and even Heather had told him, sometimes people just needed someone to talk to. He gently pulled his hand away to pick up his own glass of water, taking a long swallow. He looked up to where Emily was talking with Major Williams and the Brooks still. Angie followed his gaze.

"So, Mr. Jake Green, if you're not obviously not interested in me," Angie began, staring at him curiously.

"Angie-" he began to object.

She winked at him "It must be someone else that has your heart. Trust me, I know when a guy just isn't into me and it's usually because someone else has him charmed. Emily perhaps?"

"Uh, not exactly. We were over a long time ago." Heather's familiar features flashed before his eyes, how she tilted her head when she talked about something serious, the way she made him feel, the memory of her touch, the softness of her kisses, the way she moaned softly as they made out on the couch.

"Uh huh." His expression had not passed notice. "Why didn't you just pick things up again once she was free? After her fiance was marched out of town?"

Fiance? Jake had to refocus on the conversation. Oh, Roger and Emily. Obviously Angie had heard the whole story, likely from Emily's point of view. How much had Emily been telling these people? Had she told them about Heather? Better to mislead her. At least Emily was a somewhat safe topic, but just not an easy one to explain. "There's way too many issues between us still."

"Nothing that time and a few apologies can't fix."

"Apologies are not enough." Not for what he had done. Emily had told him as much. The old guilt assailed him again along with the new guilt of Jonah's death.

"That's too bad 'cause that girl's still in love with you." Angie stated, nodding in Emily's direction. She watched him carefully for his reaction.

That made Jake take a deep, heavy breath as the surprise hit him. He was about to object but Krissie appeared in front of Angie to ask her where Emily kept the first aid kit.

Emily still loved him? After all this time? He hadn't thought about it much. He had spent so many years knowing that Emily was out of reach for him, knowing he had ruined their relationship and left her with the death of her brother to deal with alone. He had run away like a coward when she needed him most and kept running. until he was cornered and broke, lost and still confused, coming back home to hopefully get the money his grandfather had left for him so he could keep running. He had seen Emily that day and how content she seemed with her new life. Emily had moved on without him. Then the bombs had happened, Jake had met Heather and his entire world had changed. When he thought Heather was dead and Roger was gone, he felt the old pull between him and Emily again, but somehow, it had never felt quite right. There was still too much history between them and they had both changed. Then Heather had come back and for the first time in his life, he knew what he wanted. He still felt the friction between him and Emily, friction that had only increased last week when Jonah had killed himself. There was too much between them, not that he was sure that even if by some miracle, all that was settled, what he would do. He didn't think that would ever happen. But it would help his guilty conscience if she would only forgive him. He had never intended for her to be hurt, it had just happened and he had only made it worse. For that, he deserved her enmity and always would.

He gazed over to Emily where she stood with Major Williams. She had barely left the officer's side all day. Or was it that the major hadn't left her side? Emily must have felt him staring and turned to meet his eyes. Blue eyes met his and she gave him her beautiful smile. He knew that smile well. Years spent together throughout school and a few short years living together when he came back from Embry, pilot license and diploma in hand came back to him. He had wasted all that training, unable and unwilling to find a job out of state, wanting to hold on to his rebel ways and just be with Emily and hang with their friends here in Jericho. He had ended up working for her father, not really sure what he wanted out of life and not really caring since he could never be the man his father wanted him to be. He had thought he would always be the screw-up and had expected Emily, who knew him best, to always accept him for that. But in typical fashion, things hadn't worked out well again and he had screwed up big time once again. But at least he hadn't ended up in jail, but the price had been Chris's life.

Emily turned back to talk to the woman standing next to her and Jake was reminded of how easily they used to fight and how hard it had been to agree on much of anything. Emily was his past, a past he had put behind him now. Heather was his future. He felt that all the way to his heart and soul. He only hoped he didn't screw that up as well. If only he didn't have to play the games he did right now. He would have loved to have had Heather by his side today, showing her off among all these people. Heather had accomplished more in the past several months here in Jericho than many of these people had in their lifetime. Sure, they were successful at making money and running businesses, but many of them hadn't done much to help Jericho overall in the past months. They were quick to complain about the lack of power or food, often trading valuables in exchange for the things they needed or using them as bribes to get what they needed done or for special favors. They were not bad people, they were just trying to survive in this new world with the rest of them. Unfortunately, this new world required hard work, much of it manual and it was a concept that was foreign to many of them. Jake only hoped that they would become more involved with the charter knowing that they couldn't trade valuables as easily anymore. But he also needed to stay on their good side, as these people still had influence in Jericho and obviously with the new government, as Jake noticed Major Williams talking with many of them and shaking hands.

Yet still, when he stared at Emily laughing and looking charming as ever, he still had to wonder if things would have been different somewhere along the line... if Emily had forgiven him for Chris and taken him back. Would the two of them still be working with Hawkins to get to the bottom of who was responsible for the bombs? Would he have cared enough to get involved or just think he'd screw it up again? What would his life have been like if Heather had not entered it and turned his world upside down? Since that day on the bus the day of the bombs, Jake had always been trying to do the right thing, in saving the children, trying to protect Jericho, stepping up to lead when his father fell sick and then was killed. He suddenly saw the right things he could do for once in his life. He used to give up hope easily in the past, but Heather had been there in the background, remaining strong and hopeful and believing in Jericho as much as he and his father did. That was how she ended up going to New Bern and how she had nearly been killed by Constantino. He thought he had lost Heather, both emotionally and physically, and then she was back, reminding him of what he was fighting for and why he needed to put his past behind him. He didn't want to keep making mistakes anymore. He wanted to become a better person, to do the right things and to save Jericho and his country. And much of that, he knew deep in his heart, was due to Heather.

Yet, he still wondered as Emily looked back at him again. She met his eyes and he felt that old spark between them...

"So you gonna stick around for the fireworks?" Angie asked him, having returned from helping Krissie. Over by the pool, Jake saw Krissie putting a bandage on the back of a soldier's hand.

"Fireworks?" Jake wondered if she could read his thoughts.

"Well, not the real ones, but Mike brought a recording of a Boston Pops Fourth of July concert. We're gonna watch it on the television." She nodded over to where several soldiers had set up a big 52 inch television with a DVD player on top against the wall of the house where most of the patio could see it. Obviously the military had access to some pretty nice things.

"Uh, sorry, but I promised my mom I'd join her." Though it was Heather he had promised. The sun was already setting and it was cooling off. He said he'd be at the Richmond's in time for dinner. He was going to be late.

"Well, I'm going to go upstairs and change into something a bit warmer. Keep my seat warm, will ya?"

"Sorry, I've gotta head out." He dropped a more obvious hint.

"Well then, it was sure nice talking to you, Jake Green, Hero of Jericho." Angie held out her hand for him to shake and he did so. "And thank you to coming to my aid earlier."

"I'm no hero." It was Jake's default answer.

"Sounds a lot better than Town Bad Boy, though, doesn't it?" Angie winked at him before walking away. Again, he noticed many eyes watching her go. She was beautiful and walked like she just came off a catwalk in Paris. He wondered why he wasn't as attracted to her as he might have been in the past. Any skirt used to capture his attention before. She was nice on the eyes and he wouldn't look away if he saw her nude, but another face and body had his attention nowadays. And it belonged to a lovely woman named Heather.

Jake made a slow exit, being sure to shake hands and say farewell to many of the Jericho residents and telling them to come see him if they had any questions on the charter. There were a few thanks to him for taking out Jonah and the other gangs now that the news had spread about how much Jake had actually done. Thankfully, Major Williams and Lt. Brady overheard a few of those comments. A few of the soldiers came over to see him off, clapping him on the back and promising to catch up with him again some day. Jake shook Major Williams' hand and asked him to let Colonel Hoffman know he needed to talk to him still. Emily gave him a kiss on the cheek, lingering to whisper in his ear that he had done a good job today. Remembering how she used to compliment or chide him based on how he did out on social occasions in the past, he wasn't sure how to take it.

Jake collected his gun and headed out the door, looking forward to catching up with Heather and the rest of his friends and family. He had some making up to do, he knew. He felt the tension in his body from having to act and play politics today. Socializing had never been his strong suit and it took a lot out of him. Angie's story still horrified him and it severely rankled his sense of right and wrong, knowing that women and others out there were being used and abused and no one was doing anything about it. And Emily still was mad at him, but he wasn't sure if he was ever going to be able to change that. Angie's words haunted him, however. _'That's too bad 'cause that girl's still in love with you.'_ Did Emily still love him after all this time? The signs were there... her jealousy of Heather, the silent looks, the way they still fought... but yet, he knew that nothing he did would ever be right enough for Emily from him. This house full of things was proof of that, things he had never been able to give her, despite how hard he had always tried to make her happy. In her eyes, he still was and always would be a screw up.

Somewhere out on the Richmond farm was someone who cared about him as a person, not about material things, and believed that he could be something more than he ever thought he could be. And he was going to find her.

(To be continued..)


	34. Chapter 34

Full Circle, Chapter Thirty Four

_Some strong language in the beginning here._

The sound of pounding music and the large crowd of people talking at Emily's party echoed down the street as Jake walked out of The Pines intending to head west out of town toward the Richmond farm. As he walked, he considered all that just happened at Emily's Fourth of July party. He never liked playing politics and being social, but now saw the benefits, especially if he needed to gather information and keep up morale and interest in the charter among the many residents of Jericho. For once, he hadn't worried about his whole bad history while socializing today, worrying that someone was going to bring up something from his past and embarrass him. Now, many people were regarding him with respect. When had that happened? Maybe there was something to this hero thing.

Windows... his word of the day He considered all he had just overheard as he glanced around the Pines subdivision. He had dealt with a number of opportunities well today. He wondered what Hawkins would think. Rob had always been tough on Jake, making him focus and listen during his lessons while they talked and plotted. But more and more lately, he was starting to see how the things Hawkins had been teaching him could be applied. _Windows of opportunity_. Jake had seized upon several of those today, though he had also let other things suffer like his plan to spend the day with Heather. Finding balance was nearly impossible, Hawkins had said, when it came to the job you needed to do when you have a family or loved ones. Jake was learning that slowly and he wasn't happy about it.

A flicker of light flashed on his left. Jake stopped. A faint glow came from the bushes, very small but enough to catch his attention. Veering off the road, Jake pulled his gun out of the back of his pants and slowly walked over, keeping to the dim shadows as best as he could. _Move slow, deliberately, cover all directions._ Hawkins words came back to him. _Expect the unexpected._

He came to the big sign for The Pines. The lights on the sign were out and had been for a long time, deemed an unnecessary use of power. But standing near the sign, just in its shadow, were two figures. The flicker he saw must have been a lighter as he saw the telltale orange light of a cigarette burning and thought he could smell the pungent odor of cigarette smoke drifting in the air.

_Stop, Look, Listen. Think._

Very few people had cigarettes nowadays, mainly just the soldiers and them rarely though Russell said that cigarettes were very good for trading but expensive and hard to come by. If anything, the bombs had done wonders for stopping smoking in Jericho.

Jake was able to make out more as his eyes adjusted to the shadows. The moon wasn't up yet though twilight was settling across the land as the sun had set not long ago. He was able to make out two figures that were likely male, which way they were facing, and the fact they were both holding assault rifles. Both men wore some sort of uniform. One also held a pair of binoculars and was gazing through them. Jake followed where he was looking and saw that it was in the direction of Emily's house. Jake couldn't make out much at this distance, but he could see the light of the patio, now lit up, and several of the windows of the house glowing with light as well.

"Fuck, she's got a helluva body," the one holding the binoculars said. "Take a look."

The other took the binoculars and looked through them. "Nice tits. John said she was hot."

Jake was able to get a better look at their uniforms. Ravenwood, he should have known. They hadn't seen him yet, so he moved carefully, circling behind the men, wary of the old landscaping and overgrown grass beneath his feet. The developers had appropriately planted a number of pine trees around the sign. He could feel the pine straw beneath his feet.

"That's it. Toss your hair back, baby. Let me get a better look at those goods."

Belatedly Jake suddenly remembered that Angie had said she was going upstairs to change. If she left the blinds open and had the lights on, then she was likely the one they were watching.

Appalled, Jake took several quick steps forward wanting to stop these men from what they were doing. A twig crunched under his foot. Quickly, he pointed his gun at the head of the soldier, correction, contractor with the binoculars. Both men whirled about, their guns aimed at him. Stalemate as Jake aimed his gun at them. He looked at the men and noticed how young they seemed. One held a cigarette in a hand. Jake wondered what these two were doing out here. He hadn't heard what security schedules they had or patrols they were setting up yet.

"Don't you boys have something better to do than being Peeping Toms?" Jake asked, using his best authoritative voice.

"We're assigned to keep watch here tonight." The one on the right told him, standing up a bit straighter. He didn't even blink at Jake as he aimed his pistol at him.

Jake accused. "To keep watch or enjoy the view?"

"We're checking out the area for trouble." The one on the left explained, waving the binoculars. "And we were told to make sure there's no disturbances in the area."

Jake wondered if that was true, but Ravenwood was still ramping up its security and setting up its own camp. He didn't think they would assign any soldiers to this particular street out of the many in town. But with so many soldiers, including Major Williams and Lt. Brady attending the party, maybe they had been assigned here. His eyes were adjusting to the growing dark and he was able to make out their features now. One was tall with blond hair. The other had curly red hair and was shorter and bulky, but Jake wasn't sure if it was from muscle or liking his food too much. Neither had the typical military crew cuts, but their hair was short. Unlike the military, Ravenwood didn't have strict codes when it came to appearance, but it would also make it easier to identify their men. Jake set their features to memory, wondering if he would need to remember these two again. They both had name tags on their uniforms but he couldn't quite make them out yet.

"Lower your guns." Jake suggested as he lowered his own gun and re-enabled the safety. They were making him nervous with their guns still aimed at him. "And hand me the binoculars."

"You're that Jake Green, aren't you?" One said as they did finally lower their weapons. The other one took a big draw from the cigarette he was holding, blowing the smoke he exhaled in Jake's direction.

_That Jake Green_. He was getting tired of hearing that.

"Yes, I'm that Jake Green and I want the binoculars." Jake held out his hand and snapped his fingers.

"You wanna see too? She's one hot cunt."

For a second, he considered not looking, but he needed to make sure that was indeed what they had been looking at. Using the binoculars, he scanned the area down the street. It took him a few seconds to get his bearings but he was able to sweep over to the back patio of Emily's house and was able to make out several groups of people standing around talking, the bartender at the bar, and the crowd of younger people still hanging out by the pool. Gas lights hung around the area as well as several strings of red, white and blue lights that were now lit. He slowly moved the binoculars toward the house and sure enough, the upstairs window on the left was lit by light from inside and he could see the outline of a female there. She was tall with long, blond hair and graceful as she pulled on a shirt on over a very skimpy bra. It was indeed Angie as he watched her shake her hair out of the back of the shirt and continue buttoning it up. How long had these men been here watching?

"Nice piece of bootie, eh?" One of the men patted his shoulder and Jake pulled his gaze away.

"What the fuck were you thinking? " Jake pushed the closest one with a punch against the man's chest. It wasn't enough to knock him down, but enough to knock him off balance and let him know that Jake meant business.

"Keeping an eye on things as ordered." The young man replied, stepping forward to regain his balance. He nearly dropped his cigarette.

"Well, your orders don't include voyeurism." Jake tried to use the tone of voice his own father used to use on him.

"Voy-your what?" The other asked. He didn't look too bright.

"I'll just let your commander know." Jake informed them though he wasn't sure if Goetz would really care, especially coming from him.

"We're just doing our job." The other came back. "Not our fault if she doesn't know how to use window blinds."

The other man snickered. And these boys had assault rifles, Jake noted. He was finally able to make out their names on the uniforms. The blond was Dunlap and the other was named Callahan.

"Besides, it's your word against ours and I don't think the commander likes you much, Jake Green." The one named Dunlap said.

"I'll be sure to mention that in my report to Major Williams." Jake replied with a half-salute and began walking away still holding the binoculars. "And I'll be sure to let the young lady over there know that Ravenwood is a bunch of perverts and to be more careful."

Jake doubted he would tell Angie, but they didn't know that. She had been through enough already. He might tell Emily, however, and tell her to warn the women to be more careful.

"Hey, give us those back!" One of them yelled at Jake's back. "Those are company property."

"Not until you learn to use them properly. Besides, I'm taking them as evidence." Jake told them over his shoulder as he walked off. Neither moved to stop him but he heard them both cursing and working on what they were going to tell Goetz as Jake walked out of the Pines. Instead of walking straight west out of town, Jake took a detour through town. Walking down a now quiet Main Street, he stopped by City Hall and left the binoculars and a quick note to Gray Anderson on the mayor's desk saying that they "needed to talk about Ravenwood". Leaving City Hall, Jake walked out of town and toward the Richmond farm.

Ravenwood was bad news, he always knew that, and this was just the beginning. They had assaulted Angie at the ribbon cutting ceremony earlier. The behavior tonight wasn't horrific but it showed a lack of discipline and respect. That was one thing his father had taught him and that he had picked up during his short time in the military and doing contract work. Respect was a big part of the job. Even as a contractor, he had been taught to keep his mouth shut and act professional, even more so than your usual soldier as the contractors were often the ones left behind the longest, helping locals rebuild their country and maintaining good relations with the local residents. They had been schooled in local customs and proper behavior and he knew that Ravenwood had something similar. Discipline was maintained through education and enforced by punishment as needed that often included extra duties and a dock in pay, if not an outright dismissal and even criminal charges at times depending on the case. Unfortunately, as Jake had discovered, even the punishment could be a farce as those in charge of the contracting companies and their managers and commanders were often corrupt. Jake wondered if Ravenwood would even do anything in this case if he complained. Even despite Goetz's low opinion of him, Goetz's motives and morals seemed questionable, especially after what he had seen in Rogue River and what he had heard about what had happened in New Bern. And Jake knew that he might not be able to object as much as he'd like to in the coming weeks if he had to remain on the good side of the military. Gray needed to be the one standing up for Jericho on things like this now. After today's incidents with Ravenwood, Jake knew it was going to be hard to stay out of what was bound to be a rough road ahead for Jericho with the transition to Ravenwood for their protection. The thought sent a shiver through him, at potentially not being able to follow his conscience and protect Jericho and its residents from the evils of Ravenwood. Sighing, he only hoped that he might be able to get Gray and Eric to stand up more instead.

The wind was blowing softly and Jake could see the twinkles of lightning bugs as they came out as dusk faded into night. During his long walk to the Richmond farm, he could occasionally hear the crackle and pop of fireworks, whatever people had been able to scrounge up from previous years he guessed. He figured they had used up most of them when the Marines came to town last winter, but maybe not. But they hadn't been able to find enough for the annual Jericho fireworks typically held in the big park in town. It didn't quite feel like the Fourth of July without them. It would have been nice to cuddle up with Heather on a blanket and watch them together. It was just one more custom that reminded him of how much the bombs had changed their world.

It was already dark by the time he turned to walk down the driveway leading to the Richmond farm.

"Bird feed!" Stanley exclaimed as his hand pounded against something, likely a table, to emphasize his point. "Can you believe it?"

Stanley's voice followed by a number of laughs carried down to him as Jake climbed the last hill leading up to the Richmond house. He had seen the dim lights from the farmhouse and outside while he walked up the long driveway, guiding his way up to where he wanted to be. He could also see the windmill spinning slowly in the wind, the generator prototype at its base still supplying power to the house for the lights. As he walked, on the right side of the driveway, he could see the rows of tomato plants they had planted earlier that spring. On the left were endless rows of corn that was just over knee-high now. In the distance, he could see the strawberry plants and beyond them, the orchards where they had been picking cherries recently. The lightning bugs were twinkling brightly among the trees and across the fields.

"That's all she wanted?" A female voice asked. It sounded like Mary.

"She said... you should have lots of extra seed seeing as you can't plant it all right?" Stanley laughed and barely was able to stop. "Extra seed?"

Jake knew that getting a hold of seed that year had been extremely difficult without any of the usual supply sources. Stu Long, who owned the grain and feed supply chain, had done fairly well for Jericho in obtaining as much seed as he could, but it still had not been as much as previous years even though they had tried to make some of their own from last year's harvest. Russell and a few other traders had been able to come up with some seed as well in trade for salt and the promise of wind turbines. But despite the shortage, they had planted everything that they could, a lot of it manually. They had barely completed many of the fields before the end of planting season.

A moment later, Stanley must have regained his composure and continued on. "Well, Mimi sent her off home with a burlap sack of that old corn that Maybelle wouldn't even eat and told her to use that instead, that the birds would like that much better anyway."

Mimi's distinctive voice was loud and clear. "And she grabbed it and took off in a huff, muttering the whole way down the drive way."

"I can just see it, stomping down the road in that old housecoat and with those old slippers of hers!" Eric laughed.

Windows. As he came up the hill, Jake saw his friends and family seated at the big picnic table under the old maple tree in front of the Richmond house. They had strung up the white lights leftover from the wedding which lit the table along with two gas lights. It was a picture-perfect moment and he paused for a second to look at his friends and family.

"Don't forget the old granny glasses." Sean added.

"Not funny, Sean." Stanley rebuked the young man, seriousness in voice again.

"Sorry."

"Mrs. Jones is still the source of amusement around here I see." Jake said as he walked up. Mrs. Jones was the local crazy lady, but they all still loved her and did their best to look after her. His father had been especially good at dealing with her especially since she usually filed a formal complaint at least once a week. But everyone in town had a story to tell about something odd she did.

"There you are, stranger!" Gail exclaimed and smiled up at him.

Heather, sitting next to Bonnie, got up and walked over to greet him. She had changed out the dress she had worn earlier. She looked adorable in shorts, but had pulled her old red sweater over a cotton summer top. He swept her into his arms and hugged her close, loving the feel of her familiar curves against him. He hadn't been able to hug her since that moment at the plant. His heart pounded, feeling how much he had missed being with her today. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips, wishing it could be longer but not in front of the everyone. Knowing this crowd, they would get teased. She still tasted sweet and he caught a glance of the remains of blueberries and whip cream on the table. Empty plates and dishes still covered the table. They had already eaten dinner and he had missed it.

"You smell like perfume," Heather told him, sniffing his clothes.

He was still wearing the dress shirt and slacks his mother had made him wear today. He missed his usual jeans and t shirt but hadn't wanted to take the time to stop at home to change.

"Jake get lucky?" Sean asked. Stanley cuffed him on the back of the head as Mimi glared the young man. Even Bonnie hastily signed something at him and Sean looked repentant.

"Emily's perfume." Heather whispered quietly up at him, her eyes full of confusion.

Jake shook his head at her as her eyes met his. "Yeah, Angie must have bathed in it. She was a little bit thankful for rescuing her."

He hoped the story would pass, not wanting to admit how forward Angie had been. But Heather's eyes looked doubtful and he saw a flash of hurt there. Damn it. He hastily took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly as he wrapped his other arm around her waist to pull her against his side.

Mary asked. "I thought most people had donated their perfume and cologne to be used for soap and shampoo?"

Heather and Mimi had been part of the project to make soap and shampoo and other homemade hygiene products for Jericho. Many of the new gardens had planted herbs that would be used for them in the future. Mimi had gotten the idea to save all the lilac flowers and other wild flowers from the Richmond farm and dry them, planning to use them for fragrance. Thus, most of the Richmond house's closets and spare rooms, including the attic and basement, were criss-crossed with clotheslines of hanging flowers and other herbs as they dried. Stanley complained about it any time Bonnie and Mimi weren't around. Heather had taught Mimi how to make the soap and Mimi had run with it, even going door to door asking people to donate perfume and other fragrances to the cause.

"We didn't get that much from," Mimi coughed into her fist, glancing at Heather. "certain parts of town."

Jake had to admit, he usually didn't pay much attention to the gossip and class politics of Jericho, but after today and what he had seen at the party, he realized he was going to have to keep a closer eye on everyone in town.

"Angie, that one of the girls from Jonah's?" Stanley asked.

"Yeah." "Yes." Jake and Gail answered at the same time. His mother had been working to see that the women were taken care of, from places to stay, to counseling and jobs. Jake was going to need to double-check with her about the jobs. Major Williams had seemed pretty eager to get them to come to Cheyenne.

"How are they all doing?" Mimi inquired.

"Okay, I guess. Some of them better than others." He replied, still distracted by Heather. He wanted to tell her about Angie and what she had been through. Of all people, Heather would understand.

"That Krissie has been living at the tavern lately." Mary reported. "Quite the little social butterfly."

Jake led Heather by the hand over to the picnic table next to where Heather had been sitting. Heather joined him, sitting down next to him and pressing up against him. He grabbed her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. With his other hand, he checked out the leftover blueberries that sat on the table and ate one. He always enjoyed the homegrown fruits and vegetables from the Richmond farm. After today, he was going to appreciate them even more, especially since so much of his and Heather's own labor was going into them.

"So how was Emily's party?" Gail asked, looking interested.

Jake answered. "It was okay, I guess. The usual crowd there, plus a number of soldiers, Lt. Brady, and Major Williams."

"Colonel Hoffman didn't come?" Eric asked.

"Hah, no." Though Jake had wished he had. He reached for another blueberries and ate it. "I heard he wasn't much of a socializer."

"We have some leftover chicken inside. And potato salad." Mimi stated, noticing Jake as he picked at the blueberries.

"Nah, I ate there." He had downed two burgers and two hot dogs before realizing he wasn't used to eating that much anymore. But it had tasted good and he felt guilty that he had had such good food when those here were still eating the usual staple of chicken and vegetables and whatever fruit was coming into season.

"Then at least have a drink." Mary said, pouring him a glass from the old glass jug that sat on the table.

Jake guessed it was that terrible liquor she still made at the tavern. She had gotten better at making it taste less like varnish but it still tasted awful with a terrible aftertaste. But it looked like they had drank over half of the jug's contents already. He recalled the beer and alcohol they had had at the party and once again felt guilty. But he took a long swallow from his glass, feeling the harsh liquor burn on the way down. He really needed to unwind. With Heather next to him, he realized how tense he still was. Now, he was back with his friends and family and didn't have to worry about politics anymore.

"Any good food?" Stanley asked.

Jake hesitated before answering. "The usual cookout stuff. Hamburgers, hot dogs-"

"Burgers? You've got to be kidding!" Sean exclaimed.

"Where in the world-" Gail began to ask.

"Major Williams." Eric answered her. "They had some big shipment of goods come in yesterday."

"Must be nice." Stanley lamented.

"No, we must save the cows, remember?" Mimi joked. "No beef. Eat more chicken. And eggs."

Everyone around town had a few sayings they used to help make it through the difficult food times. Some pretended they were going on a diet, others, like Mimi, pretended like it was a campaign to save the pigs or cows or fish.

They began to talk about the farm and how some of the other farms were doing and Jake lost track of the conversation, thinking about the party. But he noticed that Heather had been mostly quiet beside him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest, taking her hand in his other hand now. She laid her head against his shoulder and he nuzzled her hair softly, inhaling her soft scent. Here, he didn't have to worry about what anyone else thought. Here he could be himself and he could give Heather all the attention he knew she deserved. He only hoped she wasn't too mad at him. He whispered into her hair. "You okay?"

Heather gave a slight nod.

"Angie had quite the story to tell." He told her, worried that that was still bothering her.

"She talked to you?" Heather asked. "She's been rather reserved at the church meetings."

Jake nodded. "I think she just needed someone to talk to. She was pretty brave for what she went through."

"Slavery?" Heather inquired softly. Jake felt the shudder go through her. He squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"Yeah." He answered. "But it's probably not something the rest of the town needs to hear." He knew how conservative Jericho tended to be. They had zoning laws that prohibited adult stores and clubs. He was pretty sure they wouldn't want to know about what women like Angie had really been through. However, he knew that they would be supportive, none-the-less. His mother would see to that. They would also keep up with the self-defense classes and continue to remind all residents to be watchful. They even had a program that checked on neighbors and friends to make sure everyone was okay and accounted for. "All the more reason to keep up the things we are doing."

"As long as we can keep Jericho safe." Heather added thoughtfully.

"I'm trying" Jake squeezed her shoulders. But with Ravenwood in town and the military pulling out, now he wasn't as sure. He reminded himself to take Heather out for more gun lessons and work on getting her to carry a gun. He had a small pistol that had belonged to his father that she could carry. "We're doing okay."

"What if Constantino hadn't been stopped?" Heather asked quietly. "And what if they let him go?"

He knew what she meant. They heard rumors that they were letting criminals go due to lack of evidence and resources to try them. He wanted to tell her about what he had overheard about the military pulling out of New Bern, but stopped himself. He didn't want to worry her any more tonight.

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen." Jake replied. Major Williams said they were going to prosecute Constantino. He made a mental note to follow up on that.

"Hey, Jake," Stanley asked, interrupting their conversation. "What did you ever do with all those bell ringers in school?"

"I'll never tell!" Jake laughed.

Stanley grew quite animated as he told the story. "Somehow, Jake and Gary Rigley had removed all the clappers from the bells at school, removing the last ones right after last period. So we go to leave at the end of the day and there we are, all sitting at our desks and waiting for that damn bell to ring so we could go home, and waiting... and waiting... and it never rang!"

There were laughs around the table. Stanley was better at telling old Jake stories than he was.

Jake remembered the day well. No one had ever caught them but his father had been angry when the school principal had reported the news that someone had broken the schools bells and wanted an investigation. Then Johnston Green had found the bag of bell parts in Jake's car a few weeks later. That had resulted in yet another one of his father's speeches about needing to be a fine, upstanding, representative young man, an example for others to look up to, especially as the mayor's son. Jake knew the others were looking up to him, just not in the way his dad expected. If only his dad could see him now...

Gail looked at him with a mixture of disapproval and amusement. He winked at his mother and she smiled. That hadn't been his only prank in high school and his parents had only known a few of them. He had given his mother a few scares with some of the things he had been up to.

For several minutes, the conversation revolved around old high school stories and pranks, though he noticed one person still not really participating.

"You're too quiet." He gently teased Heather. Heather was often very talkative around Mimi and the rest of this group. She often had her own stories from school and college to share. Heather had been almost as bad as him in school, he had discovered. Being a preacher's daughter didn't mean you were always the perfect angel. She had just been better about not getting caught and using her supposed-innocent status as a cover. There was a story about hot-wiring the high school principal's car that Ted and Heather teased each other about that he had never been able to get the full story on. They also joked about having a full set of keys to the high school once.

"Just tired," she said softly, so faint he almost didn't hear it.

Heather had been working hard for the past couple of days and even last week while he was gone. They had gotten up early this morning to go down to the plant after working there late last night to get it ready for the ceremony and tour. That and she had been busy getting ready for the pageant today.

"You were great today." He told her, now able to tell her openly how he really felt. "I was very proud of you. Of everyone and what they did." He had gotten to know many of the plant workers in the past weeks, but especially the past two days. He had been glad to see Bobby O'Neil and others working hard at making the plant work.

"Thanks." But he heard the hint of sadness in her voice and knew why it was there. It made his own heart ache to know he was the reason for it.

"And the pageant... that was incredible." His chest swelled with pride at how well the pageant had covered U.S. history and reminded people of where they had come from. His father and grandfather would have loved it.

"Weren't the kids great?" Her face lit up as she looked up at him.

He added. "Dad would have been proud."

"I was half-expecting the military to sweep in and put a stop to it." Heather said. She lifted her glass to her lips and took a long swallow. By the look of distaste on her face, he knew that it was some of Mary's liquor.

"They didn't, but Lt. Brady wasn't very happy."

"What's so wrong with believing in the United States? It's what got us where we are today."

"Maybe that's their point." Jake sighed.

"But that's not what caused the bombs, right?" Heather asked.

He inhaled quickly and looked away into the night. He was so tempted to tell her the truth, that someone in the Cheyenne government had somehow been involved with the bombs. Jake didn't answer, trying to figure out what to say. He was tired of telling lies and of hiding secrets.

"Jake?" Heather was getting better at reading him. "Don't tell me you know something more?"

He glanced over at his mother. She was telling a story about his father, one he had heard many times before. His mother's face lit up as she retold it. It was good to see her talking about his father finally. His parents had had few secrets between them. It had been a strength between them.

"Or wait, something else you can't tell me?" she whispered, her anguish evident in her voice.

"I'm sorry." He said again. He couldn't say it enough.

Stanley started telling a story about Mimi being squeamish when he had poured her real milk for her cereal a few days after she had come to stay with him. Jake wished he could rejoin their conversation but he knew how much this was tearing both he and Heather apart.

"Stop apologizing." Heather stared up at him, confusion in her eyes. "You know, you could just tell me what's going on, why you can't-"

His heart nearly broke at the look in her eyes. But the look in her eyes at the ceremony today when they called gun came back to him, the sudden fear that maybe Heather was the one about to be attacked. "I can't."

Heather looked away.

"And I'm sorry about today." Jake hoped to distract her by changing the subject. He hadn't made it here as soon as he liked. He had wanted to go out riding with Heather today, to have her all to himself for a few hours. "I will make it up to you, I promise. I will have more free time this summer."

"Oh?" Heather looked up at him. "I thought you were going to be working down at the outpost still with Emily."

He wondered where she had heard that. "Probably not as much. Which means I'll have more time to spend with you or out here helping Stanley. Lord knows he needs the help."

They both looked over to where Mimi was pushing Stanley off the picnic bench. Stanley collapsed in a heap on the ground. Mimi towered over him, hands on her hips, trying to look serious in reprimanding him. Then Stanley pulled her down on top of him and Mimi landed on her butt next to him. The two laughed together.

"They're a couple of goofballs, aren't they?" Jake said to Heather.

"Yeah." Heather stared at the couple, a dreamy expression on her face.

Jake wondered if he would ever be that happy and relaxed.

He appreciated that he was helping make Jericho safe for his friends and family. But what about for him? How long would it take for him and Hawkins to get to the bottom of what had happened? It had taken Hawkins four years to get inside the terrorist cell. How long would it take them to get inside this Cheyenne government and find what they needed to? With Ravenwood here now, he could see that things could spiral out of control very quickly. They had worked so hard to maintain the peace that they had.

"So how did things go at the party?" Heather asked. She took a big swallow out of her glass then rested her head back against his shoulder again. Fortunately, she let the issue slide once again. Jake breathed a sigh of relief. "Did you find out what you needed to?"

"All right, I found out more than I expected." And he had, between talking with the Jericho residents and the soldiers. He still wasn't sure what to make of some of the things he had overhead from the soldiers, but he had an idea that many of them were still looking for the package and Hawkins. And he had gotten many questions about the charter and people seemed generally supportive, yet apprehensive about it. He had done some good today. He had learned a lot and gotten to practice some of those skills Hawkins had been trying to teach him. He felt more like his father today, mixing and mingling with people and getting their support. He only wished Colonel Hoffman had been there so he could talk to him more about the job and Ravenwood. "Just not everything I wanted to. But people were pretty positive about the charter."

But as he looked back down at Heather, he realized what she had just asked him, not entirely understanding what he was up to, but supporting him just the same. Emily would have never done that. Emily would have wanted to know what he was doing and why and would have thrown a fit until he told her, never quite trusting him. Heather asked, but she seemed patient with him, trusting him beyond what he deserved.

A shock went through him and his heart pounded loud enough for him to hear it in his head.

He was in love with Heather. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Everything faded around him until it was just him and Heather sitting next to him, his heart and thoughts racing with overwhelming emotion as he had never felt before. He looked away, tears gathering in his eyes at the power of his feelings and his realization.

He had fallen for her, probably on that day on that bus long ago. He had spent so many years thinking he was in love with Emily, regretting what he had done to her, running away when she needed him most. He had told Emily he loved her long ago, but this was something different all together. Something more powerful, life-changing, something that made his heart beat faster, his world brighter, his path ahead not so lonely. The magnitude of it terrified him. This woman had found her way into his heart, making him feel again, making him see the world around them in a different light, making him see himself not as a screwup but as someone trying to make a difference, giving him hope to keep doing the right things, even if he had to do them on his own.

He had never been good at admitting his feelings. He had rarely even said those magical worlds to Emily or even his mother. Was he ready to tell Heather? Was she ready? He had seen the emotion in her eyes, but he also saw the doubt, especially lately. Maybe she would regret getting together with a screwup like him. He was afraid, terrified of what might be coming, afraid he would screw things up, with Heather and with what he and Hawkins were doing. And what if things did return to normal? He never had a real job, nor any money or savings. He had no idea what the future might bring. He couldn't open his heart fully, not again, not yet. Not if he would only ruin things again. Emily had taught him that lesson all too well.

But he could tell her some, and after today, Heather more than deserved it. The tension had slowly been leaving his body as he sat here and relaxed, relishing the feel of her against him, the contentment that filled him at the simplicity of sitting here among family and friends.

He turned back to Heather, nuzzling against her hair. It smelled faintly of her homemade strawberry shampoo. "Do you have an idea how happy you make me?

"No," Heather chuckled nervously, as if not sure if he was serious or not. She turned her face up at him, smiling. His heart pounded at the amusement and something more he saw in her eyes.

"I love waking up each morning knowing I'll see you downstairs," he began tentatively, keeping his voice soft. Everything that was Heather began to flash through his mind, images, feelings, smells, taste, sounds. "I love the way you smile, and the way you laugh, and the way you look at the world like a cup that's half-full instead of half-empty."

Heather stared up at him in surprise. She seemed to be hanging on his every word, her eyes turning from amusement to shock as the seriousness of his words sank in. Did she know how hard this was for him? He had never been good with words. But for once, he found them coming easier the more he talked. She squeezed his hand tight where their fingers were still entwined, rubbing her thumb over top his. Her touch sparked his awareness of how close they were together. It made his pulse begin to race, the blood rushing to his head and other parts of his body that had noticed how warm and soft she felt against him. It made it difficult to refocus on what he had been saying. But he found his train of thought and continued.

"I love your battered backpack and this red sweater." He rubbed the sweater on her arm. It was the one she had worn the day she had first kissed him and he was reminded of that innocently-sweet kiss every time she wore it. "And the way you sing in church, and the way the kids call you Ms. Lisinski, and the way you can fix just about anything."

"Well, not Bessy." Heather quietly confessed, nodding over to where Stanley and Mimi had sat back down at the table again.

Jake laughed at the memory. Stanley's old tractor had finally died and despite Heather's and his own best efforts, they hadn't been able to fix it. The thing was so old and rusted and Heather had tried her best. She had broken the news to Stanley as if telling him about the death of his closest friend, sitting him down on the sofa and talking like a doctor telling him that they had tried everything and just could save her in the end. Even now, it brought a smile to his face remembering how serious she had been, with Mimi trying not to lose it as she stood nearby. Stanley hadn't taken the news well and had stormed out of the house when the three of them had broken down into laughter at how serious Stanley had been. Stanley had finally caught on with the joke and come back in to yell at them for finding it so funny. Stanley had agreed to 'donate' Bessy's parts to the wind turbine plant where they might use them for machinery or spare parts for other tractors.

But Jake grew serious again as he looked down at Heather, loving the light of laughter in her eyes and her smile. Heather had come into his world and become part of it, with his friends, his family, and with him. Even with his trips away, his temper, and his penchant for danger, she still believed in him and was with him. Within a few short months, she had become not just part of his world but his world.

"And I love..." He almost said the words and paused. He found himself getting lost in her blue eyes, emotion overwhelming him.

"What?" The laughter in her expression faded and she hung on his words. She was holding her breath expectantly.

"I think you two are far too serious over there." He vaguely heard Mimi saying.

Something warm and sticky hit him in the cheek. Jake lifted his hand to see what it was. Whip cream. He glanced up to see Mimi with an empty spoon aimed in their direction.

"Hey!" Heather came alive next to him. Leaning forward, she loaded her own spoon of whip cream from the bowl in the middle of the table and lobbed it in Mimi's direction. Her aim was off and she hit Stanley instead. It landed in Stanley's hair and partially in his ear. Heather covered her mouth with a hand in mock shock. "Oops!"

"Oh no, you don't!" Stanley picked up his own spoonful and threw it at Heather and Jake. Jake moved back and it hit Heather square in the nose and cheek.

He wanted to lick it off but couldn't stop himself from laughing.

"You can't do that to my gal!" Jake shouted and loaded the spoon in front of him. His spoonful hit Mimi and a few drops splattered over his brother's arm.

"Food fight!" Eric shouted, digging his own spoon into the bowl.

Seconds later, whip cream was flying across the table and there were no bystanders in this battle. Even Gail threw a few spoonfuls, nailing both Heather and Jake, and then Stanley. Bonnie and Sean got their own revenge against Stanley and Mimi. And Jake got his brother, but Mary nailed Jake right in the forehead. The hostilities began to draw to an end when the whip cream bowl was empty. Everyone was laughing and toward the end Jake found himself on the ground wrestling with Stanley, and then better yet, with Heather as they tried to disarm each other of their spoons.

"All right, all right, enough!" Gail announced. No one had been brave enough to aim for his mother, though a few misdirected spoonfuls had landed around her, spattering her with the sticky whip cream.

All of them were covered with the remains of the whip cream and some of them with grass stains and dirt from the ground. Heather sat beside Jake on the ground laughing hysterically until she gave herself the hiccups. He tried to tickle them out of her but she couldn't stop laughing long enough and was still hiccuping as she sat up, wiping whip cream from her face. He loved seeing her so free and unhinged. As he looked around at his friends and family, he saw their amusement and happiness. It had been the most fun he had had in a long time.

They passed out a few of the linen napkins to wipe off the worst of the damage to their clothes and persons. Jake helped Heather wipe the whip cream out of her hair and teased her by licking some off her cheek. He used the distraction to kiss her softly, tasting the hint of liquor and her familiar sweetness. Then she hiccuped and he laughed at her.

"Stop it!" Heather pushed against his chest. "It's not funny."

But she moved to sit between his legs, her back against his chest, her hands on his legs. He wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling her hair and nibbling on her ear.

"We should take this inside before the mosquitoes eat us alive," Gail suggested, waving at a bug buzzing around her as stood up to grab the now empty whip cream bowl and the bowl of remaining blueberries. "You all are worse than a bunch of teenagers."

"Hey!" Sean protested. But Bonnie laughed.

Heather hiccuped.

"Let me help you," Mary said, expertly stacking up the dishes and silverware to carry inside.

Mary and Gail disappeared inside the house. Jake was glad to see his mother finally able to go inside the Richmond house. They came out a few seconds later carrying damp washcloths. Mary began wiping down the table as Mimi finished collecting the rest of the dishes. They passed around one of the washcloths to finish cleaning the stickiness off their clothes and skin.

"Got any recipes for insect repellent, Heather?" Stanley asked, killing a mosquito on his arm. He had sat back down at the picnic table.

"I'll get right on that." Heather laughed then hiccuped again. Her body shuddered against him with each hiccup. Jake found it adorable.

"We better go inside before mosquitoes decide to invite the neighborhood over," Mimi suggested, swatting at a bug as she got up from the table. "Bonnie, what?"

Bonnie signed something quickly, looking at Sean standing next to her. They both had a pleading look in their eyes.

"I don't know. Ask Stanley." Mimi told her, rolling her eyes.

"What?" Stanley asked. He had been fiddling with one of the gas lights, turning down the wick.

Mimi explained. "They want to go to that bonfire party. I said maybe."

"Uh, I don't know, it's rather late." Stanley looked up at the night sky. Stanley had taken over the role of overprotective brother rather well. He did still let Sean live with them and it had been working out rather well, as long as the teenagers listened to most of their other rules, including curfew.

"It's only 9:30!" Bonnie said and signed at the same time. "All the kids are going."

"Supervised?" Stanley asked.

"Yeah, the Jacksons are going to be there." Eric said. Eric usually knew what was going on in town. "There were going to have a few fireworks and some music for the kids."

"All right, but be back by," Stanley glanced at his watch. "11:30 at the latest."

"That's only two hours." Bonnie protested. "It will take twenty minutes to walk there."

"Midnight. No later." Stanley relented. He had the mean, big brother expression on his face. "I mean it, Sean."

"Yes'sir." Sean gave Stanley a salute. Sean had settled down fairly well in recent months. His family was one of those still missing, having been away at a conference in Boston when the bombs hit. Since winter, instead of hanging out with many of the restless teenagers in town, he had been helping at the farm and hanging out with Bonnie. Stanley had done fairly well at being a big brother for the boy though Sean still drove them nuts with his airhead ideas at times.

"We'll walk them part of the way there." Eric offered.

Mimi asked. "Aren't you going to stay? We were going to play Uno."

They occasionally played Uno and other games here, especially on the weekends. Their last Uno game had been pretty funny, with everyone picking on Stanley with Draw Four cards most of the game.

"Nah, we better be getting back to town." Mary replied. "I left the tavern in the hands of a bunch of college students trying to earn some credits. I half-expect the place to be burnt down when we get back."

"I'll go with you." Gail stated, yawning. "Feeling a bit tired myself."

Jake had seen the sorrow in his mother's eyes today. Today had been hard for her. The Fourth of July had been one of his father's favorite holidays.

Gail, Eric, Mary, Bonnie and Sean got ready to go and soon were on their way walking down the driveway. Heather still sat on the ground, leaning back into Jake's arms. He hadn't felt like getting up yet, especially with Heather against him like this. She didn't seem real inclined to move either, though she was still hiccuping.

"How about a game of Strip Poker then?" Stanley suggested with a wink down at Jake and Heather.

"I'd settle for a glass of," Heather hiccuped. "water first."

Jake smiled with amusement, trying to not laugh at her. Fortunately, her back was to him.

"I think that can be arranged." Mimi chuckled. She picked up the jug and glasses on a tray to take them inside.

Stanley got up from the table and reached down and gave Heather a hand up. Heather affectionately mussed Jake's hair then picked a few dishes off the table. Mimi was chattering away about the Fourth of July celebrations in Washington D.C. as the women went inside. He heard Heather hiccup one last time.

Jake felt the emptiness in his arms from her leaving. It was dark and quiet with everyone gone. It was very different from the noisy crowd that had been at Emily's party. The whole day had been surreal, from the anguish this morning when he reminded Heather of their hands-off policy, from the ceremony and Ravenwood attacking Angie, to the parade and pageant, to the strange party at Emily's. Being here at the Richmond's had been the first time he had relaxed all day.

"You okay, bud?" Stanley had offered his hand down to Jake and he just now noticed it in front of his face.

"Yeah." He let his friend help him up, swaying slightly as he gained his balance. As he got to his feet, he felt aches and pains from the past couple of days working at the plant and the dull ache from his still-healing ribs.

"Good, then grab some of these dishes and come inside." Stanley ordered and did the same, picking up some of the dirty dishes and disappearing inside the house.

It was quiet now. The chirping of the crickets sounded all around Jake. The night was clear and the moon still wasn't up yet. He could see the stars and a few of the planets in the sky. He saw Venus shining in the west and the faint red glow of Mars in the east. The planets had not changed, except for the Earth, the world beneath his feet. Did the solar system out there realize how much they had damaged their planet nine months ago? But the planets and stars would go on and on, despite what they did here on Earth. Did someone out there know what they had done? What had happened here in Jericho and on this farm? What Jake was up to? He looked up at the night sky and wondered if there was someone out there watching him. His father? His grandfather? God?

He felt a chill pass over him, suddenly feeling alone in this world. Knowing the secrets he did, he had no one to share these things with, at least not all of it. Now, everyone expected something of him, but was it too much? Eric wanted him to help Jericho and to take care of their mother. Jericho wanted him to take care of them and solve all their problems. The military wanted him to help them get Hawkins and Hawkins wanted him to help him catch those responsible for the bombs. Emily probably wanted him to be something that he hadn't been in over five years, if ever. And Heather... Heather wanted him to be more than he thought that he could be, a hero and protector of Jericho, a man he didn't think he could be, even as much as she believed in him.

But at least she made him want to try. He could only hope and pray that he wouldn't disappoint her in the end. He loved her, he knew that now. He knew he shouldn't be keeping these secrets from her. But more than that, he was terrified to think what might happen if she knew what he knew. Her quiet little world might not ever be the same. He had seen how she was today, at the plant starting up the new turbine, to the pageant organizing the students, to the understanding looks she had given him, being patient with him and letting him do what he needed to do today without demanding more of him. She knew that things were bad, with the government and more, but he hated to let her know how bad. He needed to know she was safe and untainted by evils Jake knew about. Hawkins had told him to put his life in order, that these people would be his strength in the time to come. Jericho and his family and friends were his strength and Heather the beacon that guided him.

In the past, he would have run away, away from home, away from his responsibilities and from all the things that had been laid on his shoulders. Now... now he wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but he had to believe that what he and Hawkins were doing was right. In his heart, he knew it. He just wasn't entirely sure he was strong enough to see it through. Yet Heather's words from long ago came back to him 'I_f you keep trying to do the right things for the right reasons, things will usually work out._' He had to believe that.

"Hey you!" Heather shouted at him from the doorway. "You gonna stay out there all night or do you want to see me in my underwear?"

Now that got his attention. Images of Heather nearly nude flashed through his mind. He had already caught glimpses of her adorable bras and panties and even had the honor of removing a few of those sexy bras and exploring what lay underneath. His body liked that idea as well as he felt awareness pulse through him. The thought of making love to Heather at last, being joined in heart, soul and spirit as well as bodies sent a thrill through him that no other woman had ever inspired in him before. It gave him something to keep looking forward to, especially after his revelation of how much he loved her. He longed for the day when they might finally be able to be together, unhindered by their pasts, plots and worries. He stared at her in the doorway, her slim figure backlit by the lights inside the house. What was Heather talking about? Ah yes, strip poker.

"You know, Stanley once told me you played a mean game of poker." Jake laughed. He hoped it wasn't true. He'd like to see her in as little as possible. Or better yet, nothing at all.

"Why don't you come in here and find out?" She gave him a devilish smile as she tilted her head to the side and waved for him to come inside.

Yet here, as he heard the laughter in Heather's voice and recalled the unabashed amusement from his friends and family tonight, Jake realized how much he was at home right now.

Here, he was just Jake again, not 'that Jake Green', or Town Bad Boy Jake, or Hero Jake. Just Jake, with his family and friends and Heather by his side.

_Windows_. He mentally opened this window and went through.

Jake blew out the gas lamps, grabbed the rest of the dishes and went inside the Richmond house to join his friends.

(To be continued...)


	35. Chapter 35

_Warning: The next several chapters are pretty intense in many ways. Some strong language and some pretty major emotional, action-packed and suspenseful scenes. If you'd like a brief synopsis of the previous chapters, check it out on my Livejournal._

Full Circle, Chapter Thirty Five

_Three weeks later_

Morning dawned already warm and humid threatening to be another miserable, hot summer day in July for Jericho, Kansas. A warm haze hung over the land, even this early in the morning. Birds were singing their morning songs as the sun was rising slowly in the eastern sky chasing away the last shadows of night.

Jake walked with Heather as they made the two mile hike out to the Green family ranch. Since they had built a bigger pasture last year, they only needed to come out to the ranch a couple of times a week to feed and water the horses. Usually, he and Heather would make the trip, enjoying the chance to spend time together though occasionally Eric or his mother would come with Jake. Heather and Jake were following the road, just off the road since they could already feel the heat coming off the asphalt. A regular dirt path had cropped up by the side of the road from everyone walking and using horse-drawn wagons as they traveled in and out of Jericho. The only ones really using the roads anymore were the military and Ravenwood and those with bicycles.

"Have you convinced Mrs. Jones to stop running her air conditioner?" Heather asked Jake, her voice full of humor. They were not holding hands while walking. It was too hot plus Ravenwood had put a quick stop to that tradition.

Jake chuckled, remembering his encounter yesterday afternoon with Mrs. Jones. He had gone with Jimmy to visit Mrs. Jones at her strange house on the outskirts of Jericho. "Jimmy threatened to throw her in jail. I think that finally got her attention."

Jimmy had been filling in as acting Jericho sheriff for the past two weeks, a trial period to see how he did. If it worked out, he might get the position permanently. Gray had first asked Jake if he would serve in the role and while Jake had been tempted, he had declined, knowing that he had to keep working with Hawkins and might have to leave Jericho. Besides, Jimmy deserved it for all the hard work he had been doing for the past year. So, Jake had had a serious heart to heart talk with Jimmy, telling him how he needed to step up and not be afraid to step on toes and anger a few people as sheriff, including himself and even Gray Anderson if needed. Thus far, Jimmy was doing fairly well, both in keeping the sheriff's office running smoothly, leading the rest of the deputies and in standing up for Jericho against Ravenwood. Jimmy had developed a knack for dealing with Goetz that even made Jake shake his head in amazement. Though while Gray Anderson was out of town attending the federal constitutional convention, even Jimmy was finding his patience strained as the hazy days of summer made people restless and their limited resources were becoming evident. It had been ten months since the bombs had gone off and very little had changed in how much help they were getting from their new government or any other outside resources. Most of their improvements had been self-made, with the wind turbines, charter and workshops were they were devising ways to get by without outside supplies as much as possible.

But this latest heat wave in Jericho was almost as difficult as winter had been. The temperature had been nearly 100 degrees for almost a week with occasional thunderstorms that did little to alleviate the heat but only seemed to make it worse, filling the evenings with muggy humidity. The elderly and the young were taking it pretty hard. Even with the additional wind turbines Heather's plant had built, power was still limited and Mayor Gray Anderson had passed an edict forbidding the use of air conditioning unless medically necessary. They closely monitored power around Jericho to ensure that residents weren't abusing their limited power from the wind turbines. It didn't help that they didn't have battery power to store power for when the wind wasn't blowing. And during this heat wave, the wind had dropped off making power even more limited. Some of the wind turbines were barely spinning most of the time. They sometimes didn't even have enough power for refrigerators and lights let alone air conditioning. Fortunately, Russell had made a trade deal with a carbon dioxide processing plant in Colorado exchanging one of their first tradeable wind turbines for liquid carbon dioxide and dry ice they were now using to help keep their refrigerators cold until power picked back up.

The military kept promising that the power grid would be up soon but even the military outpost was using one of Heather's wind turbines to power their camp in addition to their solar power and generator. Ravenwood had put in an order for a wind turbine as well for their own camp. They had crews visiting each house to further tune power consumption though it was a painful and time-consuming process. People were coming up with all kinds of creative ways to beat the heat including swimming parties and field trips to the quarry and salt mines where they could go underground where it was cooler. Work on the farms had slowed and was being done during the early morning and late evening hours. Heather and Jake were supposed to go out to the Richmond farm later that night to help water and till the soil around the many rows of tomato plants Stanley had planted as well as recover roots on many plants that the daily thunderstorms were washing away.

"Well, maybe this heat wave will break soon." Heather said hopefully. She wore shorts and a cool summer top that left most of her shoulders and arms bare and dipped low in the front much to Jake's enjoyment. She also wore an old straw hat that kept her head covered though it hadn't stopped her adorable freckles from coming out all over her face and body. She carried her backpack everywhere nowadays, but as usual, he carried it for her this morning. Thankfully, he had finally convinced her to start carrying a gun which was packed inside the backpack along with Heather's array of tools and the lunch she had packed before leaving the house. He wasn't always able to go with her as she went out and worked on wind turbines and on the other various projects for Jericho, so it gave him a small measure of relief to know that Heather now had a gun with her.

Today, Jake was in his usual jeans and t shirt but could already feel sweat running down his back where the backpack rested against him. He figured by the end of the day, he'd have his shirt off despite the interested stares he got at his still-healing gunshot wound. He did enjoy the sizzling looks that Heather sent his way when he had his shirt off, however.

His plans for the day included working with Jimmy at City Hall to go over complaints, checking to see if Eric needed help as acting mayor, then helping at the rations center that afternoon to sort through inventory and go over the charter credit reports they maintained there. A lot also depended on how the bi-weekly meeting at City Hall went today, where Lt. Brady and now Goetz would meet with Eric, Jimmy, Larry Stevens and Jake. It had been fairly quiet lately, so he hoped the meeting would be the usual check up on complaints and progress of the charter and supplies as well as the status of the ongoing hunt for Hawkins. Jake hoped to get more information about what was happening outside of Jericho as well, at least the version that Lt. Brady liked to spin. Since the Fourth of July, Jake had been hearing more news from the Underground that made him nervous, mostly about how the new government was courting whole groups of people and certain towns to get them to buy into their new government and plans. They were bringing more people up to Cheyenne for the next phase of their project to continue work on the new constitution. Gray had been surprised when he had gotten an invite and had left ten days ago to head up to Cheyenne, leaving Eric in charge. The news they heard was that Cheyenne was also busy building housing and other facilities around Cheyenne to deal with the burgeoning population. People had migrated to Cheyenne in large numbers seeking shelter, safety and jobs and many of them were in tent cities while housing was built, but Jake wondered how their new federal capital would hold up once winter came. Winters in Wyoming were harsh, long and cold. Though right now, he wouldn't have minded a little cold weather. The summer heat was a sharp contrast to seven months ago when he had nearly frozen to death out on the road pinned under Stanley's truck.

At least with the heat, people were more focused on keeping cool and helping the town rather than what was happening outside of Jericho. There was some talk about the outside world, but thanks to Jake and Eric, they tried to keep the information about what was really going on outside mostly positive despite the reports and rumors of war and hardship elsewhere in the country. They had started getting a list of requests from people asking them to pass on messages to Cheyenne and anywhere where they might be able to possibly reach missing family members and friends. They had supplied a list of missing persons to Cheyenne a few months ago but there hadn't been any word on whether the government was actually doing anything with it. Jake had made sure to add Heather's brother to that list though she hadn't known that he had. Heather rarely talked about her family but sometimes he would see her staring wistfully at him and Eric as they talked about old times and growing up together.

The past weeks had been a rollercoaster. Jake relished his time spent with Heather, walking to the plant or ranch, or to church or out at the Richmond's to work on the farm. They had even had time for those field trips of hers, going out riding to look for minerals and caves and making several maps of where resources could be found and sending more parties out to explore and bring back supplies. They had had long talks and walks again and more than a few nights watching movies and making out on the couch or out on a blanket on their picnics or breaks out at the farm. But their good times were frequently becoming overshadowed by the aggravation of Ravenwood. Jake knew it was getting to Heather as well.

Since the Fourth of July, Ravenwood had been a thorn in Jake's side. Ravenwood seemed to be taking out their dislike for the town of Jericho and how they had embarrassed them last year through subtle harassment. They were frequently underfoot and more obvious than the military had ever been. Goetz had been revisiting the terrorist investigation, checking out anyone who had shown up in Jericho since the bombs had gone off. They were also revisiting the murder investigation of Sarah Mason. To Jake's amusement, the Ravenwood commander had yet to get the security clearance he needed to further the terrorist investigation and access confidential files in Jericho and in the Cheyenne government's databases. Emily wasn't sure why, but not even Major Williams had been able to clear his access and according to Emily, the major was feeding the commander some information that he shouldn't. But at least it slowed down Goetz's investigation.

Overall, the town of Jericho was feeling the pain of the changing of the guard from the military to Ravenwood and not many were happy about it. Eric and Mayor Anderson were receiving several complaints a day about them, complaints that Jimmy was dutifully tracking and bringing to their attention as well as speaking to Goetz about them, though it wasn't doing much good. Jake had had to hold back the urge to say 'I told you so', knowing his brother was trying his best to maintain the peace. But after several failed attempts to reason with Colonel Hoffman about Ravenwood, Jake had been forced to mind his tongue and stop pushing lest he hurt his chances of getting that job working for Cheyenne. Jake hated it. He was supposed to be casual and not caring as much about Jericho, wanting to leave. Hawkins had warned him that he was going to have to swallow his pride as he became more enmeshed in their plan. And Jake knew that this was just the beginning. It was just harder when it was personal and affected those he cared about.

It didn't help that Ravenwood was occasionally tailing him as he went about his usual activities, such as walking Heather to the plant or out talking to people about the charter. Jake knew it was Goetz's revenge. As he wasn't up to anything suspicious about town, he didn't think it would be a problem until it started affecting his relationship with Heather. Fortunately, the ranch was just outside the roadblocks and Ravenwood usually didn't go out that far except on road patrols. But they had to pass through the roadblock on their way unless they took the back trails which took longer. Ravenwood had been forbidden from trespassing on private property unless they had an 'exigent circumstance' as Eric called it, in case of emergency or called in to help by the sheriff's office or at the request of the property owner. That was one rule Gray had been adamant about and Ravenwood thus far had mostly adhered to it as far as they knew. Thankfully, a good many places Jake frequented, such as the Richmond farm and the ranch, were away from the public roads and eyes.

Still, putting up with Ravenwood had been extremely difficult, especially for his relationship with Heather. Jake had had to limit their physical contact and his own behavior when out in public with her. He still wanted to keep the military and now Ravenwood in the dark about his feelings toward her, especially with Goetz in charge. The tension and distance between he and Heather had grown and she often grew quiet around him when they talked about the military or Ravenwood. Many times, Jake had been reconsidering his decision to not tell Heather the truth. Instead, he tried to make it up with her by showering her with attention and since he had much more free time while waiting for news on a job from Colonel Hoffman, it had been easy to do.

He worried at times that he was feeling too much for Heather, too soon and too fast. He used to tease his friends about settling down with one woman, believing they had found "The One" for them, never believing that such a thing existed for anyone. He had loved Emily, but it wasn't all consuming like his friends liked to brag about. Now, he understood. He thought his attention would stray, especially after realizing how much he loved Heather that night at Stanley's, but instead, it had only become more focused. He woke up each morning looking forward to seeing her at the breakfast table and had even started getting up earlier in the morning just so that they could spend more time together. He would walk her to the plant each morning or they would come out to the ranch. In the evenings, when they didn't have workshops or town hall meetings or work at the Richmonds, they would watch movies or read together. Weekends were spent working at the Richmonds and in their joint gardens, or going to church followed by a relaxing Sunday afternoon. She made him laugh and feel positive about the world and progress they were making keeping order in Jericho despite the questionable news they heard in trickles from the outside world. When they weren't together, he often found himself wondering what she was doing, wishing they had working phones so he could just call and say hello and hear the sound of her voice. His daydreams and even night dreams revolved around Heather and the things they worked on together and were going to do together. He dare not dream too far in advance, but he often found himself wondering what it would be like to settle down, get married, have those grandkids his mother wanted and live happily ever after with Heather here in Jericho. He worried that he was becoming obsessive, yet all he had to do was compare their relationship his parent's relationship, which had been strong and enduring. He felt comfortable with his relationship with Heather, though he still had his doubts because of his past and what he was planning with Hawkins and the secrets he had to keep. They both worked and got along so well together that they rarely disagreed or argued. Fortunately, Heather had mostly backed off pressuring him to talk about what he was up do, even despite another trip away. He hoped that she had just finally let it go, trusting him as she usually did with most things.

He could postpone his work at the rations center and other work for today, especially since they had more help at City Hall thanks to the charter. Jake smiled suggestively at Heather. "How about a picnic lunch and swimming for today?"

"That would be nice." Heather gave him a knowing smile back. He saw the affection and a flash of desire in her eyes as she met his eyes then shyly looked away. It made his heart beat faster knowing that underneath that shyness was hidden passion. "I doubt we'll get any work done at the plant again today anyway."

He knew what that look meant and was already looking forward to seeing Heather in one of her cute swimming suits and perhaps even nothing at all again. They occasionally went swimming at the old creek that ran through the ranch or at the lake where his grandfather and father used to fish. Sometimes Eric, Mary, Stanley and Mimi would join them. Their private times together were fun, with a lot of teasing and playing in the water, followed by a make-out session on the dock, which then required another dip in the water to cool off again. He had stolen Heather's swimsuit the last time, walking out of the water with it and collapsing on their blanket as he laughed at her astonished expression. Heather had protested and complained about protecting her modesty for a while until she had totally floored him by walking stark naked out of the lake toward him. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her amazing body. Firm, full breasts that fit perfectly in his hands, a narrow waist and flat stomach, curving hips, a great set of legs and dark hair covering the one place that he had yet to touch more than occasionally over her panties yet. She was a perfect mixture of lean muscle from all the physical labor she did and womanly softness, though he thought she was still a bit underweight. And as he had discovered, her freckles covered the rest of her body, though not as much on the areas that didn't get much sun. He still wanted to explore and kiss every one of them. She had gotten her own revenge by seeing what an affect that had had on him as she had walked up to him just out of reach and sat down on the blanket next to him. Not even the water had been able to cool him off. The image still haunted his dreams and stirred his imagination whenever he looked at her. Jake had to drag his thoughts away from where they were heading and thought again about Jericho.

With the exception of the difficulties dealing with Ravenwood, the past several weeks had been relatively quiet in Jericho for once. With the warmth of long summer hours, the success of the charter so far, power and other supplies coming along thanks to the turbine plant , workshops and trading, and with food plentiful again and people busy working, one could almost forget that the bombs had happened. With Jonah Prowse and many other criminal groups around Jericho gone, morale about town had improved. People had settled in a routine with their work roles according to the town charter system. Spring and summer crops had been planted with the same acreage as previous years, thanks to a lot of manual labor and impromptu greenhouses and trading that had provided enough seeds and plants for everyone to use and have their own gardens. The spring and summer rains had been good this year so far and the crops were doing well. Already, they were getting early vegetables and berries. Workshops had taught them how to freeze and dry fruit and vegetables as well as canning as much of the food as they could find jars and tops. The poultry farms had successfully raised several thousand chickens and Jericho had real meat on a semi-regular basis. Even the livestock farms were doing well and were promising pork and beef by early fall. Now, they just had to continue their discipline of rationing and saving the food so it would last throughout the winter. There had been a workshop last week on drying and curing meat. Fortunately, they had a whole salt mine at their disposable to help with the curing process. Thanks to the charter, they also had a good way of measuring town resources and how much they had to spare and trade. They still didn't have much to trade especially with the government still demanding their share. But they had other resources they were starting to trade, including salt, stone from the quarries, and the wind turbines and other metal products from Heather's plant. They were also learning to hide exactly how much they did have so that the government wouldn't demand more.

Despite his occasional work for the military as well as working at City Hall, Jake found himself with more free time finally, and he had been enjoying spending his extra time with Heather. He had had one more meeting with Hawkins in the past weeks, taking Emily with him, but had returned to find Heather worried but glad to see him. She made it worth coming home. Jake was enjoying this brief respite from the outside world while he and Hawkins tried to figure out their next steps and began to plan what they might do if Jake didn't get that job.

When he wasn't doing something with Heather or working at City Hall, Jake had started spending more time with the border patrol updating his military training and keeping their skills up to date just in case they were needed one day. He had been spending more time out at the Richmond farm, which also allowed him to occasionally check on the military outpost and their maneuvers. Emily provided some information and between Emily and Angie both working at the outpost, he had more solid information that the Cheyenne government was gearing up for a Civil War. Colonel Hoffman had started rotating several of his units in and out of Jericho for training rather than using Fort Riley as a base, which struck Jake as odd. Then again, they had ample water, a pleasant climate and a peaceful community. A variety of soldiers were coming and going often, taking leave in town at Baileys and even helping with various town projects in exchange for fresh fruit and vegetables paid for by their charter system. The soldiers also caused a bit of trouble on occasion, something that Ravenwood was actually quick to take care of. Despite all the military activity, Colonel Hoffman was still working on that job for Jake, only saying there was a lot going on in the government and it was going to take time. Jake was beginning to have doubts that he would get the promised job but Hawkins kept reminding him to stay patient and focused on the goal.

They turned a bend in the road and Jake saw the roadblock in front of them, being manned by Ravenwood. He didn't notice any of the Jericho border patrol with them this morning. Usually one or two border patrol members worked the roadblocks, helping the Ravenwood men identify residents and keeping an eye on the military contractors. But over the past weeks, the border patrol had often stopped coming, citing harassment and difficulties working with the military contractors. Jake heard the complaints in the border patrol training sessions but hadn't reacted, trusting Larry Stevens to follow up on any complaints or issues. He had to stay out of things now, just one more thing he was regretting.

"Maybe we should just go around them," Jake suggested. They sometimes took overland routes that bypassed the main roads but those routes were longer, going up and down hills and having to walk around fields and pastures. With the heat today, he had been hoping to quickly get to the ranch before it got much warmer and get back in time for the meeting at City Hall.

"Too late, I think they see us," Heather replied. And sure enough, there was a flash, like light reflecting on glass as one of the men appeared to be looking their way using binoculars. Several of the men looked up as the one with the binoculars pointed at them.

The Ravenwood men were cooling their heels under a small copse of trees just off the road. Two large military trucks blocked off most of the road and barbed wire fences reinforced with deep steel poles were set up to discourage anyone from trying to drive around the roadblock. On both military vehicles were artillery guns. It looked like several of the men had been playing cards around a card table with chairs. Several stood up as Jake and Heather approached. One set the binoculars on the table.

"Mornin','" Jake called with a half-salute, trying to be polite as they walked by. He often walked through the roadblocks with little difficulty, though they often glared at him and made snide remarks that he could clearly hear. These first several weeks had been rough as Ravenwood got set up and familiar with the local residents. Everyone seemed to know who he was, however.

"Stop." One of them ordered. The man walked over to stand in front of Jake and Heather, shrugging on his uniform jacket as he did so. He looked like he must be the one in charge. He looked rather young, perhaps in his early twenties with sandy brown hair and a healthy tan.

Jake saw the name Cagle on a label on the front of the man's jacket. The Ravenwood uniforms looked like they were old Marine uniforms from the time before Afghanistan. There were hand-me-downs most likely or some they must have purchased from the government at some point. Many contractors provisioned their people in a similar fashion. Unfortunately for Ravenwood, the uniforms were not quite as effective at keeping them cool in the heat as the Desert Combat uniforms the U.S. military had been using in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two of the other men got up from the table and pulled on their uniform jackets and picked up their rifles. Another two stayed seated at the table, setting down playing cards amid poker chips on the table and watching them curiously. The rest stayed under the tree in the shade.

Jake and Heather stopped in the middle of the road, right on the double yellow line. Jake could feel the heat simmering up from the pavement.

"Is there a problem?" Jake asked, trying to remain calm and civil.

"Need to see your id," Cagle replied, eying Jake.

"We're leaving town, not entering." Heather reminded the man before Jake could. He could hear the irritation in her voice. Just a few minutes ago, Heather had been relaxed and content. This was his fault, Jake knew. They might not have stopped Heather if he hadn't been with her.

"Sorry, we just need to make sure who we're letting in and out of here," Cagle stated with a smirk. The man was a little shorter than Jake but a bit heavier. He looked to be sweating beneath his uniform. Jake didn't feel sorry for him.

"Absolutely," said another man nearby. "Gotta make sure we don't let no wanted criminals slip by."

Jake felt sure that comment was directed at him. Goetz had casually mentioned to Gray that Jake had been wanted by the FBI prior to the bombs. That had led to an awkward explanation of what had happened to him in San Diego with Ravenwood, as Eric hadn't even known about it. It was the same Ravenwood that was working with this new government and now was in Jericho. Jake felt eyes looking at him, sizing him up. He thought a couple of the men looked familiar. But he also saw their eyes on Heather and not her face either. His temperature began to rise from more than the humid heat.

"Id?" Cagle impatiently snapped his fingers at both of them.

Jake fought down his instinct to protest. Heather was holding her breath as she looked at him expectantly. He only looked at her nodding, silently telling her to just play along and not make a scene. Heather raised an eyebrow at him.

He slid Heather's backpack off his shoulders and handed it to her. Taking off her hat, she dug in the front pocket of her backpack and pulled out her driver's license and handed it to the man. She put her hand back in her backpack and Jake thought he heard a click come from it. He worried that she had just clicked off the safety of the small pistol Jake had given her. But she didn't look at him to give him any clue of what she might be up to. She set the backpack on the road within easy reach along with her hat. Jake reached into his back pocket and pulled out his old wallet and withdrew his identification paper from it.

Cagle glanced between the license and Heather several times, eyes running up and down her figure. "115 pounds huh? I would have put you at 125."

Jake was offended and his pulse began to quicken with anger. Like most residents of Jericho, many had lost weight in the past year since the bombs, including Heather. They were still carefully rationing food along with trying to put some away in case of emergencies and to prepare for the winter. His mother had helped Heather adjust some of her clothes to make them fit for the summer. He also knew from their make-out sessions that she was thinner than she should be. Then again, so was he as his own belt had been tightened several notches in the past year.

Cagle scrutinized Heather's face. "But 27. Tsk tsk. Little old for most of us, right guys?"

There were a couple chuckles and murmurs of agreement. But Heather didn't respond. Instead, she was still looking around at the men, studying them closely as she squinted her eyes in the bright morning sun. He thought it looked like she was mumbling, her lips moving but saying nothing.

Cagle asked Heather. "Got any kids? Maybe you'd be a MILF."

Anger turned to rage. Jake stepped forward, readying a punch, but stopped himself. Heather glanced at him with alarm then continued mumbling as she looked around at the men. But his movement got Cagle's attention.

"And where's your license, buddy?" Cagle asked Jake.

Jake had lost his passport and license a long time ago, the day of the bombs when he had left his bag in his car after the accident. He had hoped that a search of Jonah's compound might turn them up but the military hadn't reported them in the inventory results so far. It wasn't like he could run down to the local DMV and get a new one. Instead, they had started issuing identification papers for all the residents of Jericho at City Hall.

"No driver's license, no admittance." Cagle laughed at him, taunting Jake with Heather's license.

"That's right." "Uh huh" said several of the men, a few snickering.

Jake knew that they knew the procedure. Either a passport, driver's license or id paper was required to get into Jericho. They also had a list of Jericho residents they could use if needed. Jake had used his paper several times to go through the roadblocks though everyone in Ravenwood seemed to know who he was. They just liked to try to annoy him and he did his best to not let them get to him. He knew they were also keeping track of him. Goetz had asked him several times about what he was doing when he went through the roadblocks or when he was out visiting people to talk about the charter.

"It's a valid identification paper." Jake told him, barely controlling his anger. The heat coming off the road only added to his growing frustration.

"Ah yes, the paper." With this other hand, Cagle forcefully yanked Jake's id paper out of his hand, strong enough to rip it though it stayed intact.

Cagle read the paper carefully. "Jake Green? Hey, Dunlap, isn't Jake Green the one who got you and Rusty in trouble a few weeks ago?"

"Hell, yes. Goetz made me and Rusty do double watches for a week for losing the binoculars." The one named Dunlap replied.

Jake looked at the owner of the voice and vaguely recognized him as one of the men he had caught watching Angie outside of the Pines the night of Emily's party. And the other one, with red hair, looked like the other. He saw the name Callahan on his uniform. Gray had filed a complaint with Ravenwood after listening to Jake's version of the story. He had heard later that the men both told a different story about how Jake had harassed them for the binoculars so he could spy on the party and watch the women. It had been Jake's word against theirs and nothing had happened in the end. It was just one of many complaints that had gone nowhere but Gray had kept the binoculars in his office. Jake had seen these two men around town since then but hadn't run into them personally until today.

"You'll have to give us a few minutes to look over this, check your name on the list, you know, make sure you are who you say you are." Cagle informed Jake and there were several snickers from the men. He held the paper out but his eyes didn't leave Jake. "Rusty, go and run this against the list."

A man with curly red hair and the Callahan name tag on his open uniform jacket stepped forward and took the paper. He gave Jake a sinister look then stepped over to the truck, pulled out a thick three-ring binder and acted like he was scanning every single page in it, one page at a time. Jake knew that the list was alphabetized and the man could have easily found his name. There weren't many G's in Jericho.

"You know who he is." Heather stated. She had stopped her looking around and was glaring at Cagle now.

"You can go, sweetheart." Cagle handed her license back to her with a wink.

"Yeah, go down on your knees for me, baby," said a voice among the men and there were several laughs and catcalls.

Jake was pretty sure he saw which one said that, one of the ones still seated in a canvas chair around the card table. He couldn't hold back any more. To hell with Hawkins and all they were working on. Jake made a beeline for the man, not caring that that there were three of them standing nearby with guns. No one should talk to a woman that way, especially his Heather.

"Jake, stop!" Heather called but it was too late. He was already in motion. The man in the chair was laughing but his eyes widened in disbelief as Jake approached.

"Jake, stop!" Someone mimicked in a high-pitched voice.

Jake tackled the man. They both fell backward taking the chair with them. Their legs knocked the card table over sending the binoculars flying, the cards and poker chips scattering all over the ground. The man's body hit the ground, cushioning Jake's fall. Fortunately, the ground was soft beneath them but it was enough to knock the wind out of the man's lungs. The two rolled across the ground freeing them from the chair. Jake ended up on top.

There were shouts around them egging them on but Jake ignored it. He thought he heard Cagle ordering someone named Jason to grab him.

He laid a heavy punch against the man's jaw causing his head to hit the ground. He felt a knee rising to hit him in the groin and instinctively moved his thigh to block it. But it was enough of a distraction that Jake missed the punch the man threw that landed against Jake's still sore ribs. He cursed with the pain, grabbing the man's wrist and twisted it, blocking the next blow that was headed toward his jaw.

Strong hands grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him back hard. As Jake struggled against the interruption, the man was able to jerk his wrist free. Another jerk on his shoulders and Jake was flying backwards. He landed a few feet backward on his side and shoulder and moved to scramble to his feet again. Jonah had taught him to never get caught on the ground if you could help it. Fluid and quick movements. The man he had punched, with the name tag of Peters, was rubbing his jaw as he slowly sat up on the ground. Jake climbed to his feet and felt the adrenaline pulsing through his veins. He was willing to take on the entire group of them if he had to. He looked at the three of them standing around him, looking for the next likely candidate. A big, blond man stepped in his path. Jake started toward him and found two rifles in his face.

"Jake!" Heather called.

"That your boyfriend, honey?" Cagle called from the middle of the road and that stopped Jake. Jake paused, unsure. The words broke through his rage and reminding him of his need to not make waves. Plus, they might hurt Heather if he kept it up.

"No." Heather answered simply. "We're just friends."

Heather denying their relationship hit him like a stake in the heart.

"Hear that boys? Pretty lady here is available." Casey laughed. "Jason here, he's looking for a little lovin'. Think you could help him out?" He pointed to the man that now stood in Jake's way. The man didn't have his uniform jacket on so he wasn't sure what his last name was, but there was one jacket on the back of one of the chairs that likely belonged to the man.

Jake clenched his fists. Just the look of the guy made Jake nervous. He had been leering at Heather most of the time, eyes barely leaving Heather's chest. He was tall and muscular and easily outweighed Jake. He might have trouble if he had to fight him. Jake felt for his gun and found it had slipped deeper into his pants but was still within easy reach. He didn't want it to come to having to use it. Often, physical violence was more effective for making your point. Jonah had taught him that.

"Sure." Heather slipped her license back into her backpack and placed it on the road. Jake stared at her in surprise, taking a slow deep breath to try and catch his breath and decide his next move. Heather smiled mysteriously as she sauntered over toward the man named Jason.

"Heather, don't!" Jake yelled. Even though it was cooler off the road in the shade of the tree, he felt hotter than ever, his t-shirt clinging to his back from the sweat of fighting. But a chill went through him at the thought of Heather being pressed to do something she didn't want to. Angie's story of the things she had had to do as a sex slave came back to Jake.

Cagle warned him. "Better calm down, buddy, or it might take Rusty there a bit longer to verify your papers. I really don't believe you're that Jake Green we've all heard about." Cagle's eyes ran up and down Jake's lean form making him feel subconscious. He knew he was slim compared to the rest of these men, especially since they had carefully rationed food in the past months, he knew he had lost more weight, but had put on muscle due to all the hard labor he had been doing at the Richmond's and the drills with the border patrol. Even Heather had noticed, teasing him about becoming a body builder. "And you fight like a girl, ain't that right, Pete?"

The man Jake had tackled was still stroking his jaw as one of his friends helped him to his feet. "Yeah."

Heather didn't stop, but walked right up to the man called Jason. Jason had to be a least six foot five, towering over Heather. She made a motion for him to bend over a little bit, as if inviting him in for a kiss or a whisper. The man's eyes looked down, straight down the cleavage of Heather's top. Jake stepped forward, intending to put a stop to this, but a gun barrel pressed against his chest and the man holding it gave him a warning look.

Her mouth inches from the man's face, Heather grabbed the man by the shoulders as she pulled herself up toward him. She quickly lifted her knee as she did so, hitting the man in the groin with it. Some of the Ravenwood men flinched. Jason doubled over with pain and hit the ground, rolling back and forth in the gravel by the side of the road, and cursing up a storm. He groaned in pain as he yelled. "God damn fucking bitch!"

Jake vaguely recalled that that had been a technique they had been teaching at the self-defense classes. He had practiced it with Heather several times. He just never thought she would ever have to really use it.

Grabbing Jake by the wrist, Heather pulled them away from the guns, backing them up toward the middle of the road again by her backpack and hat. She turned around to address the men. "Now, I don't know about where you all come from, but where I come from, the boys learned better manners in kindergarten."

The man named Jason slowly struggled to his feet and made a move toward Heather. Jake reached for his gun and Heather quickly stepped behind him. Jake loosely aimed his gun, not sure if he could actually shoot fast enough to defend both of them.

Heather reached down to pick up her backpack again. "Touch either of us and I'll be sure to add it to the report I'm filing."

"Hah, it will be your word against ours." Cagle replied, though he finally looked a little worried.

That had been the problem with most of the cases and complaints thus far. There were few eyewitnesses to what Ravenwood was doing and no proof, thus it had been difficult to prove any of the cases. Most of their complaints began with the phrase 'I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining but...'. and Jake had learned that there was usually more to these stories and a pattern had been developing. But worse, they hadn't been able to do much about it since it was usually the word of Jericho residents against a number of Ravenwood men and the Ravenwood men complained that they were just trying to do their job while having to deal with uncooperative residents. Jake now knew how local residents abroad must have felt when dealing with corrupt military contractors.

Heather reached into her backpack and pulled out a small tape recorder. He had seen her using it lately to speak notes when they went on surveys or to record workshop sessions and later write up notes from it. He could hear the slight sound of it running. The click he had heard earlier was Heather turning on the tape recorder. "Yours and mine as clear as day on this here tape."

"God damn it!" Cagle took a step toward them, clenching his jaw and squinting his eyes in anger. There were several worried glances around the men.

Jake turned off the safety and aimed his gun at the man. "Touch her and I will use this."

Jake wasn't sure if that would really stop all of them. How far would these men go to get away with the things they just did? They already had their guns aimed at him. Would they really shoot over this? But Cagle backed off, his hands in front of his chest in a calming gesture.

"And I'll be sure to mention the swearing and name calling and inappropriate staring. I seem to recall there's supposed to be a professional code of conduct that you're supposed to follow." Heather stated. They had announced that at the townhall meeting when Goetz had been introduced. They had been finding out that the code of conduct didn't amount to much.

"Now let my friend Jake and me here continue on our way and maybe I'll re-use this tape for something more useful, like recording the sound of me and my latest boytoy having hot summer sex." Heather spoke the last words with a deep, sultry voice, one she usually reserved for Jake only. It was a big turn on for him usually.

And not just for him, Jake realized as he glanced around. All of the men were staring at Heather, most with looks of astonishment.

God I love this woman. He was head over heels in love with her. He stared at her with a mixture of shock and amazement.

Cagle stared at Heather. "You do that, ma'am. Don't mention that tape to anyone and we'll be sure to make sure your pet here doesn't have any more problems."

Jake's mind began to race with the possibility that the recording presented. They would finally have proof of the ill behavior of Ravenwood. But even so, would the Cheyenne government actually do something about it?

"You do that." Heather responded with her best sweet smile.

A minute later, they were on their way, Jake's id paper back in his wallet in his back pocket and Heather's tape recorder turned off and back in the backpack. Jake could feel the eyes boring into his and Heather's backs as they walked away. In their haste to leave, Heather had picked up her hat and backpack and was now carrying them. After they had put several hundred yards between them and Ravenwood and turned a long bend in the road out of sight of the men, Heather stopped and handed him her hat. She pulled out a pen and notebook out of the front pocket of the backpack. Setting the backpack on the ground, she began writing furiously.

Jake asked her. "What are you doing?"

"Writing down their names." Heather answered. "Peter Can't Coddle Turkeys in South Dakota"

"What?"

"It's how I made myself memorize them."

"You remember them all?" Most wore their names on their uniforms, but Jake hadn't noticed them closely except for Cagle, Callahan, Dunlap and Peters, the one he had tackled. He had never caught the last name of Jason, then again, he was far too distracted with keeping an eye on the man as he leered at Heather. Had she been memorizing their names when she had been mumbling?

"Peter Can't Coddle Turkeys in South Dakota." Heather finished scribbling then rattled off her list. "Peters, Cagle, Callahan, Tetley, Sanchez, Dunlap."

"You are amazing." Jake stared at her, shaking his head. He had felt useless, unable to do much of anything against the men. Anything he did would no doubt get back to Goetz and maybe even Colonel Hoffman. But Heather had persevered and brilliantly stood up for them.

They were out of sight of the roadblock. He wanted to kiss her madly. He had rarely seen this side of Heather. She stood up when needed, but never like this. He never knew she had that in her. That should have never happened and wouldn't have if it hadn't been him with her. And he had been helpless to stop it. He only hoped that the news that he had attacked that man wouldn't get back either. Maybe Heather's tape would protect them both.

"I'm sorry you had to do that." He told her as he tried to move closer to her, to pull her into his arms. He had been apologizing too much lately.

"Jake, this is getting ridiculous!" Heather sighed giving him a cold look that set him back on his heels. By the tone of her voice, he could tell she was angry, not just at the men, but at him as well. She returned the pen and notebook to her backpack and picked it up again, walking quickly away, fast enough that Jake had to lengthen his stride to catch up with her.

"I know," Jake called out to her, still carrying her hat and jogging a few steps to bring himself in step with her. "Maybe we should avoid the roadblocks from now on."

"It's not just that. It's everything." Heather explained. She sounded exasperated. She didn't slow down but kept walking fast. Jake was afraid that she was going to bring the whole matter up again, his not telling her everything, his trips, why he was hiding their relationship. But fortunately, Heather seemed to be referring to Ravenwood. "They get away with that crap because they can, because there's no one in the government really overseeing them and we can get to make sure they behave."

"You have the tape." Stepping in front of her, Jake held out his hand to her to take her backpack back.

"Yeah, but who's going to do anything about it?" Heather stopped, looked at him then reluctantly handed him the backpack. He traded her hat back in return but she didn't put it back on. He didn't move from standing in front of her.

"They seemed to think that you could. It's something at least." He put the backpack back on his shoulder and gave her a reassuring rub on her shoulder, her bare skin warm and slightly moist. He felt her trembling beneath his touch. Again, he moved to take her into his arms, needing to hold her and reassure her that everything was okay now, even if he wasn't so sure himself. He suddenly felt useless for being unable to protect her from Ravenwood.

"Yeah, but is it enough?" Heather put a hand on his chest to stop him, glaring up at him.

"Give it to Eric and we'll see." Jake suggested. He wasn't entirely sure what Eric would do either. Lt. Brady was already getting tired of them complaining about Ravenwood and Eric was worried that military would pull Ravenwood out and leave them on their own again. With the rumors of Civil War and organized groups of people taking over farms across the Midwest, and New Bern occasionally sneaking in to steal from and sabotage farms, Jake wasn't sure it was a good idea either to not have some sort of protection in Jericho, even if it was Ravenwood. At least they could call in the military if needed to help out.

"And why aren't you doing anything about them anymore?" Heather stared quizzically up at him, tilting her head to the side. "The Jake I thought I knew wouldn't have put up with Ravenwood acting like this."

The accusation stung, especially coming from Heather who knew him best. Jake paused, struggling to come up with an answer. He didn't want to confess that he was trying to avoid making waves. That wasn't his usual behavior. Time to deflect again. "They just did that because it was me. Because Goetz lets them. Hell, he probably encourages them."

"I know, but it's not just you. A couple of my plant workers live out of town and every day, they give them hard times about coming and going. Even the farmers have a rough time with them." Her hand drifted from his chest to absently stroke his bicep, nearly distracting him. Her hand was warm and familiar against his bare skin. Heather loved to stroke his muscles and it nearly drove him to distraction, even now when she was trying to have a serious conversation with him.

"They're just doing their job." Jake added with a husky voice. But he couldn't believe he was trying to defend Ravenwood. So he added, "It has to suck being stuck out on the hot road every day."

Heather gave him an incredulous look then brushed past him to continue walking down the side of the road. Again, he fell in step beside her. "God, Jake, when is this nightmare we live in going to end? Is it going to keep getting worse? What are we going to do if the military pulls out fully?"

Jake didn't have an answer for her, not yet. He and Hawkins were still working on it. He would have to mention this to Eric and see if Heather would let him give the tape to Eric and Gray. He needed to check with Larry Stevens and talk to the border patrol about why they weren't showing up to help on the roadblocks. Maybe increasing the charter rate for the border patrol would get more people willing to put up with Ravenwood and keep a closer eye on them.

They turned down the gravel road that led up to the barn and old ranch-style house that still remained on the ranch. They rarely used the house since his grandfather had moved into town. But it was part of his family history. He remembered coming out here to visit his grandparents as a child. His grandmother often made homemade elderberry pies and blackberry cobbler from berries that grew on the ranch. She used to take Jake and Eric on long walks on the ranch, pointing out the old pastures and telling stories of how the ranch used to be many years ago when their father was growing up. The old house was in disrepair now, its foundation crumbling and roof sagging. His father had wanted to rebuild a house out here one day. Maybe Jake would do that one day instead.

They walked in silence, but he could tell from Heather's profile that she was still mad. She was clutching her hat and was biting her lip as if deep in thought. As they approached the barn at the ranch, he noticed Heather was growing more tense and he knew why. And she had good reason. The red handkerchief was tied to the door handle again.

"Damn it," Jake muttered under his breath. Why this now? He braced himself knowing Heather was not going to be happy that he was leaving again. It was bad enough that she was already upset.

"Again?" Heather glared at him, knowing what the handkerchief signified. She had been with Eric when his brother had found one tied to the door a few weeks ago.

"I'm sorry, but I'll need to go." He knew what the handkerchief meant. Hawkins wanted to see him. Jake wasn't entirely sure how Hawkins got down to the ranch to send the sign, but his guess was that he had one of his former CIA friends leaving the message for him. The handkerchief usually contained a note of the time and date of their next meeting. Hawkins' own schedule for getting away had gotten more difficult as he got more undercover in his job doing maintenance work in Cheyenne. Typically it was a day or two ahead of when he found it, but sometimes, due to the fact that he only came to the ranch a couple times a week, he had to hurry up and leave the next morning. Usually their meetings only took a few days, but lately, they needed longer planning sessions and were doing a few reconnaissance missions that were more for practice for Jake than needed for real information. It didn't help that it was more than a six hour horse ride to their meeting spot and if he had to bring Emily again, they would have to go by Emily's aunt's farm on their way to provide a cover for what they were up to.

Jake untied the handkerchief and a small note was tied within it as usual. He was pretty sure it wasn't Hawkins handwriting that read:

Wednesday, July 25, Noon, Bring The Girl, The Usual Spot

He'd have to pack up and leave in the morning. And he'd have to bring Emily again. Jake crushed the note in his hand and angrily shoved it into his pocket. He didn't want to go away again, not right now, especially after what had happened at the roadblock. He would need to follow up with what happened with Eric and trust him to take care of the matter, then get ready to go, leaving in a hurry and shrouded in mystery again.

"When are you going to tell me what this is all about?" Heather asked him. He could hear the disappointment and hurt in her voice and it made him cringe inside. He hated having to keep secrets from her. He had noted that she hadn't asked him about it as often in the past couple of weeks, however.

"Heather, it's-" Jake didn't get two words out.

"-for my own safety and protection, I know. But Jake, this is getting ridiculous! People ask where you are and Gail and Eric and I have to make things up, especially since Jonah's gone now. And the last time, they noticed that Emily disappeared at the same time. It was easy before when you were working with the military but now people aren't so sure that you are."

Jake turned away from her, frustration filling him. He tried to fly under the radar on this, letting Larry Stevens take over the border patrol and Eric take over the running of the charter and Jimmy as sheriff. Jake had been spending less and less time at the military outpost so people were expecting to find him at City Hall now. It was hard to avoid notice in this town. He was still following up leads on organized gangs but most of the ones around Jericho had been dealt with. He had told the military that he was out looking for Hawkins more and the last time, taking Emily to her aunt's, but he was always afraid someone would find out that he was really meeting with Hawkins. Even Goetz was asking about what Jake had been doing out of town.

"I can't tell you any more than I have. " He forcefully yanked the barn door open and heard the horses nickering inside. Dropping Heather's backpack by the door, he walked into the barn. The familiar smells of horse and hay washed over him. The dim coolness inside the barn reminded him of his nightmare, of his mother and Heather being killed, and Goetz's sinister voice asking him where the bomb was. The dream still haunted him and had been repeated several times in the past weeks, a brutal reminder of what he was up against and what could happen if he slipped up. The package was hidden less than a mile away.

"So you can tell Emily, but you can't tell me?" Heather accused, choking back a sob. She didn't follow him inside, making him stop to look at her. Her slim figure was silhouetted in the doorway. Heather was still clutching her straw hat. "You're taking her with you again? To 'visit her aunt' that she's barely talked to in three years?"

This was the first she had mentioned Emily going since his last trip. Jake had said over breakfast the last time that he was taking Emily out to visit her aunt but neither his mother or Heather had looked all that convinced that he was being truthful. He and Heather rarely argued, but this whole issue was slowly driving them apart, eating away at their trust. He had tried to make it up to her by spending as much time with her as he could, something he had enjoyed thoroughly as well and he thought she had, enough to keep trusting him. He had hoped that since she hadn't mentioned it recently that she had forgotten about it. Then again, maybe she had just been bottling it all up inside her and was ambushing him on it finally, unable to take it anymore. That sounded more like what Heather would do. But he had asked her to trust him. Surely after all this time together, she could give him a little bit of trust on this?

"Heather, why won't you trust me on this?" He felt his old anger returning, the rage at yet again those he cared about not believing in him and always thinking the worst of him. Emily had never really trusted him either. He had hoped that Heather was different than the rest. He had stretched that trust, he knew, but he was doing it for the right reasons he thought, to protect her and shield her from what he knew. Trust. Of all things he needed it most from, it was Heather, the one who inspired him, who always seemed to see the best in him. Had he lost her faith as well?

"Why don't you trust me, Jake?" Heather's voice was heavy with hurt. "I just took on six Ravenwood men, don't you think I'm tough enough for whatever you could tell me?"

"This is much bigger than Ravenwood." He went over to the big gated stall that opened out to the pasture. Wood boards with gaps in between served as the stall walls. He had helped his father build this stall last winter. Inside was a large trough they used for watering the horses. Angry, he slipped his hand through the boards and twisted on the tap that would refill the trough. Heather had helped him figure out how to make the tap work using pressure from the waterline from the house instead of relying on the electric pump they used to use. They still didn't have power out this far for the ranch nor did they have a working windmill for one of her generators. Cool water began running into the trough.

"But it has to do with Robert Hawkins." Heather retorted sharply. "I know that's who you are meeting with. And I know he's one of the terrorists they are looking for. Is that the danger you are involved with? Terrorism?"

That stopped him in his tracks. He had never discussed Hawkins with Heather before.

"How do you know about that?" He whirled around to face her, anger turning to blazing fury as he yelled at her. Heather blinked in surprise at him. She had seen him angry before, but rarely at her. How did she know? He had been careful to not tell anyone, not even Eric, that he was meeting with Hawkins. Only Emily knew and he was pretty sure she wouldn't have said anything. Or had she? But he saw the doubt and confusion in Heather's eyes and it hit him hard like someone had punched him in the stomach. His head started to pound with a growing headache.

"I overheard you talking with Lieutenant Williams at the wedding." Heather confessed. She stood with her hands on her hips, her chin up and her eyes blazing with anger. He had rarely seen Heather angry and now had twice today. But this time, the anger was aimed at him. She looked beautiful, almost distracting him. "And I put two and two together. What are you doing with a terrorist, Jake?"

As he stared at Heather, Jake felt like the world had stopped and his heart along with it. What had he talked to the lieutenant about at the wedding? Correction, major. The officer had been promoted and mostly working in Cheyenne for the past weeks. Jake had talked to him at Emily's party. He struggled to remember their conversation at Stanley's wedding, out on the back porch when the lights had gone out. Heather had overheard that? He had been slightly buzzed at the time, not to mention still upset at seeing Heather dancing with the officer and with the other men, as well as frustrated with himself and the circumstances he had placed both he and Heather in, denying their relationship and not being able to be together at the wedding like a couple. He still wasn't sure it was a good idea, but he had asked Rob for his advice on the matter and Rob had said it was probably a good idea, as having a serious relationship might limit his possibilities of getting moved up into Cheyenne. It had been harder than he believed, however, sticking with it. Even Eric and Stanley were giving him a rough time about it, saying that he should stop hiding their relationship as it was hurting Heather. But, he wanted to err on the side of caution in this. The truth could hurt her far worse and might even shatter her trust in him and he couldn't face that, not with everything else he was up against. That and it could even get her killed like they had killed the rest of those who had known about the bomb plot as they covered their tracks. No, this was his secret to bear.

So what had he been talking to the lieutenant about? About looking for Hawkins on his trips, that was about it. He recalled trying to get Lt. Williams to slip up and admit they were looking for the package, but the lieutenant had sidestepped the issue. What else had Heather overheard? He hated that he couldn't quite remember that conversation. It had been over a month ago and so much had happened since then.

Then Jake noticed that Heather was watching him closely. Maybe she hadn't known for sure about Hawkins but had taken a guess and he had confirmed it with his reaction. Busted. "Yes, I am meeting with Hawkins," he admitted. "But no one else knows that."

"Obviously, Emily does." Heather stated. "And it takes you five days to meet with him? With Emily's help?"

"It's not that simple, and it's better you not know what I'm doing." He went over to the bins where they kept the corn for the horses. Stanley had given them a good supply of ear corn for the horses leftover from the fields from last year's harvest. The horses began nickering hungrily behind him. They knew what this meant. He picked up an armful of corn and took it over to the feed trough for the horses. He dumped the corn in the trough. As the horses began gnashing at it, he went back for another armful. He wanted to get through taking care of the horses and get back to town rather than deal with this with Heather right now.

He wished he could tell her more, but something held him back. He was afraid that she wouldn't believe him, not with the incredulous story Hawkins had told him. He still wasn't entirely sure he believed it himself at times. Even Emily had said she had her doubts with the sanitized version he had given her, but agreed to let this whole thing play out until they were able to know one way or another. Heather was smart but often went with the side of caution when dealing with things, waiting until she had more of the facts before acting. What he was doing required putting that aside along with fears of consequences and the danger. It was too important. Too much was at stake. He didn't want to face what would happen if Heather disagreed with what he was up to, worried that it was too dangerous and reckless. He knew he was being a coward about not telling her, but it was for her own protection as well. The less she knew, the less likely someone might try to use her for information or worse, that she might get killed as he had seen in his nightmare. And the less that knew about their relationship, the less likely that she might be used against him.

He especially didn't want Heather to know about his nightmare and how people had died for what he knew and they would kill to know where the package was, where he had hidden it with Hawkins that spring. She had enough to worry about. But anger still blazed inside him. How had Heather found out so much? And why was she so upset about Emily? His trips with Emily had been uneventful, if not boring and annoying since Emily was still mostly giving him the silent treatment except for talking about their work with Hawkins. That was fine by him as he was still angry with her for how she had thrown Angie at him at the party and all the gossip she had been spreading about him with the women. He and Hawkins even slept outside the cabin by the lake to let Emily have the bed inside during their visit. Fortunately, he had been busy with Hawkins most of the time on their trips, leaving Emily to work on going through computer reports that Hawkins had gotten a hold of along with reports from the outpost she had and compiling data from them on the supplies and movements of troops and progress of their search for Hawkins, Chavez, and Chung. Though toward the end of the trip, he had sensed that Emily was slowly coming around to him and started touching him again and even smiling. That had only made him more angry and resentful for her behavior and he had continued giving her the cold shoulder treatment in return.

"Jake, if you don't trust me-" Heather was crying and he had missed when her emotions had changed from anger to pain.

"Heather!" Jake dropped his armful of corn into the trough for the horses and went over to her. He cupped her face with one hand, seeing the tears in her eyes, his heart aching at the sight. "This is nothing about you. I care very much about you, even more every day. And what you did back there with Ravenwood-"

"But you still can't tell me what's going on, where you disappear to?" The heartbreak in her eyes nearly broke his own heart. Heather backed out of his grasp leaving him cupping nothing but air. He felt the distance between them, both emotionally and physically. Behind him, he heard the rush of water still filling the trough and the horses munching away at the corn. He needed to be distracted, to not deal with this right now. He wanted to be anywhere but here having to deal with this now with Heather. He had been so careful to maintain a fine balance of not quite telling the truth to her, yet showering her with attention so she wouldn't ask more of him. He couldn't change that now, regardless of what she now suspected and had heard.

"No. I'm sorry." He shook his head. He desperately wanted to tell her. Fear shot through him again as he looked at her. His nightmare had come back several times and was a blunt reminder of the danger of what he was up to and secrets he was keeping. Hawkins had pounded it into his head about how dangerous it was. Hawkins' own family was at risk and had been used against him in the past. He kept thinking about how Hawkins had told him how his CIA team and their families had been taken out by those responsible for the bombs. Hawkins had even shown him some of the pictures on his laptop, their bodies mangled as they had been murdered in cold blood. The sister of Hawkins' team member Chavez had been murdered. He didn't want to think of Heather being hurt because of what he was up to, not when the vivid image of her being shot still echoed in his memories. If they tied Hawkins to Jake or found out about the package, everyone he knew would be at risk. He had known the risk of getting involved with Heather right now, but he couldn't keep himself away from her and didn't regret what they had been building in the past months, a steady and astounding relationship that filled his days with love and passion. She was the only light in his dark world of lies and terrorism plots and the struggle to keep Jericho safe.

"You know, just forget about it!" Heather stepped backward tears running down her cheeks. "You're planning on leaving Jericho, aren't you? With Emily? You two are working on some plot to leave together to go to Cheyenne, some plan with Robert Hawkins? That's why she's being romantic with Major Williams, to help you get out of Jericho? Then the two of you can get away and be together again. She still loves you and she's the one you really want to be with, right? Then you won't be stuck with someone like me?"

"Heather, you're not making any sense. Where the hell did you hear all this?" Her rambling caught him off-guard as he tried to make sense of what she had said. She only was getting part of the picture. Suddenly, he wondered if had perhaps made a mistake in not telling her more. Heather had somehow figured some of it out on her own. No wonder she had been so quiet and distant lately.

"Nowhere. I, uh, figured it out." Heather stared at him with blue, tear-filled eyes. He wasn't sure that was entirely the truth. Heather was never good at lying, just about as good as he was, though he was improving thanks to Hawkins' lessons.

He wondered if Emily had had anything to do with this. Gossip had run rampant after the Fourth of July party talking about the food and people present and that Angie had been flirting with him. He had later told Heather about his conversations with Angie and that he had brushed off her obvious plays for him, but not that he had misled Angie into believing that he still was interested in Emily. That would have brought up the whole distance issue again.

He wanted to tell her the truth, the reason why he needed Emily with him right now, but his mind was not working right, he couldn't find a reasonable explanation without telling her the full truth. He needed breathing room to think. Frustrated, he walked over to pick up a bale of hay, angrily slicing through the twine with his pocketknife and nearly cutting himself in the process. He had never really argued with Heather before so he wasn't sure how to deal with her now. He mulled over what he could say to calm Heather down and make her realize that it was not how it looked. He picked up several flakes of hay intending to toss them over the stall to the horses when he realized Heather was no longer in the barn. Nor was her backpack.

"Damn it, Heather!" Jake yelled. He must have waited too long to reply. He hastily tossed the hay flakes over to the horses and ran to the open barn door and saw Heather storming off, jogging as she headed down the drive way heading back toward town.

The thought shot through him that the way things did look, it could look like he was still interested in Emily. The time they spent together at the outpost or meeting at her house in the Pines, the party at Emily's house, the brief conversations at the town hall meetings when he would have to stop what they were talking about when Heather or others came up. And now he had started bringing Emily with him, as Hawkins wanted to include Emily in the planning meetings, especially if she did have a chance of moving up to Cheyenne to work. And he had no idea what Emily may have told Heather. Emily was known for letting her emotions override her reason and might have said anything, even casually. And if Emily was jealous of Heather and their relationship...

"It's not like that. Heather, wait!" he called out taking several long strides to chase after her but she didn't stop. She wasn't listening. For a long moment, he considered racing after her and jogged a few steps more before stopping. But he still wasn't sure what he could say. Why the hell couldn't she listen to him? Or believe him? Out of everyone in the world, he hoped that Heather would be the most understanding, especially after everything he had shared with her. Couldn't even Heather believe in him?

He watched her jogging down the driveway back toward town. The Ravenwood roadblock was back that way too. He shouldn't let her go off alone, even if she had her backpack and a gun with her, especially after what had happened at the roadblock. But relief shot through him as he saw her veer off the road down the old dirt trail that led across the border of the property. If she followed it, she would avoid the roadblock on her way back to town. Good.

He had to take care of the horses and get two ready for the trip tomorrow morning. And he would have to track Emily down and let her know it was time for another trip. Then he needed time to think and figure out something he could tell Heather. All he wanted in the world anymore, especially lately, was for things to return to normal and to be with Heather for the rest of his life. But he knew it wasn't going to be that easy, especially knowing what he did and working on what he and Hawkins were up to. He was doing this to protect Jericho and to protect her, the one thing in his life that usually did make sense. Was he losing her too? Why the hell couldn't she believe and trust him?

"God damn it!" Jake stomped back into the barn. He kicked an empty bucket and it hit the far wall, scaring the horses out of the barn. He saw and heard them thundering away across the pasture. Water began to overflow from the watering trough, spilling across the dirt floor to pool into a muddy river.

_Damn it. _Now he was going to have to go out and chase two of the horses down and coax them back into the barn. And all he wanted to do was chase down Heather and make her realize that she meant the world to him and she was seeing things all wrong.

(To be continued...)


	36. Chapter 36

_Warning: The next several chapters are pretty intense in many ways. Some strong language and some pretty major emotional, action-packed and suspenseful scenes._

Full Circle, Chapter Thirty Six

Her heart ached. Nothing remained but a deep emptiness.

By the time she had walked back to town and was heading down the street toward the plant, Heather had calmed down considerably, not that it helped how she felt. The reality remained: Jake had shut her out again. She had run full out until she was out of sight of the barn, tears almost blinding her that she had nearly tripped over a old log across the deer trail she had been following. She just had to get away from Jake, away from the pain, away from her confusion over what to do. She hadn't slowed until the stitch in her side reminded her that she was not a good runner. The weight of her backpack was almost as heavy as her heart.

At least taking the long way through offroad trails avoiding the roadblock had given her time to think. She regretted being so argumentative with Jake, but the pain in her heart was real and had only been growing in recent weeks as she felt the distance between the two of them growing. He was secretive about many things and most of them concerned the government and Emily. She had hoped that as they got to know each other better that he would let her in more. Jake had with some things, telling her stories from his five years away, stories from his childhood that no one else knew, the mistakes he had made, things he had seen and even sharing some of his frustrations and concerns about the current government with her. She often gave him advice as he did her on things as they talked about their own challenges, hers with dealing with the plant and workshops and his dealing with the residents of Jericho, Ravenwood, City Hall and the military. They had become a couple, a relationship like she had only dreamed about, or so she thought. But whatever Jake was up to during these periodic trips out of town was off limits. Jake clammed up and got angry when she pushed. She often saw the worry on his face and heard the concern in his voice and knew he was afraid at times, especially where their country was heading and what it meant for Jericho, but very little of it he seemed willing to share with her. Their times together in recent weeks were enjoyable, but seemed shadowed by the distance that had been growing between them, silence more times than not that made Heather worry about her worst fears... that Jake had been growing tired of her. And that he hadn't been willing to stand up against Ravenwood until the last minute bothered her too, making her take matters into her own hands. A guy was supposed to stand up for their girl's honor, right? Then again, maybe Heather was still a hopeless romantic with unrealistic beliefs of what a relationship should be like.

Doing what she had against the Ravenwood men had taken a lot out of her, more willpower and flair than she thought she had within her. But they had made her mad, not just at them, but also at Jake for letting them get away with the way they behaved. Jake had seemed reluctant to do much against them. The Jake she thought she knew stood up for what was right, even if he had to use his fists to do so, much to her chagrin but she had come to accept that part of him. But in recent weeks, even he had stopped complaining about Ravenwood, despite all the complaints they had received at City Hall and the stories they heard. Jake seemed to have been ignoring it. But why?

_Perhaps to avoid attention to whatever he was up to with Emily and Hawkins,_ the little voice in her head told her. Sometimes she hated being so analytical. She knew that she overthought things too much. She had been trying to ignore this issue, hoping it was just her imagination and was nothing important. Jake asked her to trust him, but how far should that trust go? Especially when her heart was telling her to be careful. Jake had gotten into trouble in the past. She thought he was passed that, but was he really?

What if Jake was involved in something bad again, something he didn't want Ravenwood to know or ask about? Something so horrible that he couldn't even share it with her? He had said it was dangerous and she had seen the look of fear in his eyes on more than one occasion when she pressed him about it. She had learned from Gail that no one in their family had known that Jake had been involved with crime with Jonah until Chris Prowse had been killed. Heather didn't see this as a good sign, especially since it seemed as if Jake was following the same pattern as before... seeming like a good guy, but involved in questionable activities in secret.

After the conversation she had overheard with Lt. Williams and with what Emily had said, she had only worried more, knowing what Jake was doing was somehow related to Robert Hawkins. The former Jericho resident was still on the Cheyenne's Top Ten Wanted list. There were some rumors that he was an ex-cop and maybe even an ex-convict on the run from the government and that was why he had disappeared after the military had shown up, but none of it could be substantiated. The rumors had grown more wild lately as Ravenwood had been checking into the matter of Hawkins' disappearance again, doing searches and asking people the same questions that the military had once asked. She had overheard Jake and Lt. Williams mentioning that Hawkins may have murdered Sarah Mason and might be involved in terrorism, but she hadn't been able to get any more information about that, even though Mary had mentioned something about it in the reports she had been typing up for Eric. What if Jake was slipping back into his old ways of crime and misconduct and she was just too blind to see it? What if he and Emily were just using the government as a ticket out of boring Jericho together?

Heather was slowly starting to put two and two together. Jake was involved with Robert Hawkins and was going out to meet with him on these trips. But why did it involve Emily now and what were they really up to? She tried to not consider that he was really just going away with Emily to spend time with her. The whole story of taking Emily to visit her aunt hadn't rang true. She knew that Emily didn't get along well with her aunt. She hadn't even invited her to her wedding. But she knew Emily still had feelings for Jake and didn't like his relationship with Heather. She and Emily had barely spoken in the months since she and Jake had started getting serious. But how did Jake feel about Emily? That was one thing Heather wasn't sure about. During one of the recent workshops, Heather had overheard Angie telling Mary about the party at Emily's house and mentioning how sad it was that the two town sweethearts of Jake and Emily were still apart when they obviously still had feelings for one another. Mary had only glanced at Heather and said that there was more to Jake Green than most people knew.

Heather knew she shouldn't be jealous, but when it came to Emily, she just didn't know what to think anymore. Emily had told her that Jake always came back to her and if Jake couldn't trust her with what he was up to, maybe Emily was right. Maybe she was just too blind and naive to see that Emily and Jake were getting close again. She had never had a real relationship before and was struggling as her feelings for Jake had only deepened over the months they were spending together. When he had been shot last month, she had nearly lost her mind with worry. She was afraid that she was feeling too much and wasn't sure how much Jake shared the same feelings. They had yet to say the magic words of 'I love you', though she certainly knew that she was deeply in love with him and had nearly said the words herself, but their distance had reminded her to hold back, to try and protect her heart from what could be heartbreak if all her fears were true. But the look in his eyes, the way Jake talked to her and trusted her with most other things, and the way he treated her spoke volumes to her, or at least she thought they did. Maybe she was just reading too much into it. Maybe Jake was just acting around her like Emily was with Major Williams. Maybe Jake was just enjoying their time together for now. Maybe it was just as it looked, that Jake and Emily were planning to get back together and head to Cheyenne to work. Maybe they were meeting with Hawkins to eventually turn him in to the Cheyenne government. He was a terrorist and wanted criminal after all. Perhaps that was the danger Jake had been referring to. The rumors Ted heard from the Underground said that the Cheyenne government was hiring all kinds of people to work for them, regardless of their criminal past. With Jake's questionable background and Emily's link to Jonah Prowse, maybe they were just the type of people the government was looking for. Heather had just thought Jake had gotten over his past and had changed and was trying to be a better person. Maybe she was wrong and too infatuated to notice. All the movies, self-help books and magazines claimed that bad boys would always be bad boys, that they couldn't be changed. What if they were right? Maybe Jake really hadn't changed, at least not enough. Maybe she was just too blind to see it.

Too many maybe's, what if's and not enough enough answers. Her mind was racing and clouded by too many feelings.

As Heather walked down the driveway to the plant, her attention caught on the line of horse-drawn wagons heading into town. It was rations day. Every Tuesday, the area farmers brought food into town to be redistributed at the warehouse near City Hall. On their way back home, they often stopped by the plant to have equipment and other metal parts repaired and pick up spare parts for their farming equipment and purchase other materials from their small growing product line of metal parts, nails and staples which were traded at the unit rates according to the charter. They were still trying to make fencing wire yet. Their biggest problem was going to be making rust-proof metal, something they were still working on. But if the farmers were coming to the plant, at least it would give them something to do at the plant today. It was too hot to work inside without air conditioning and they were sending most of the plant workers home instead of working. There was more than enough work to do elsewhere on the farms that she knew the workers would be able to find work elsewhere if needed. The charter system was working well, allowing farmers to trade at the plant for supplies while her plant workers also received a share of rations and other credits that allowed them to purchase food, services from town and even lease land for farming. Most of the workers had farm jobs and their own plots of land for gardens or worked doing odd jobs around town. Or they would do what she and Jake had been planning, take the day off and go swimming, spending time with their loved ones and friends.

_Jake..._

As she walked up to the plant, Heather resolved to dive into work and not think about Jake for a few hours. Her heart couldn't take any more, not right now. Wiping the last of her tears from her cheeks, she went inside.

* * *

The door to Emily's house opened after Jake's second pounding on the door. He had rang the doorbell and knocked on the door at the same time. No one had answered at first though Jake had heard the doorbell echoing inside the house when he rang it. Emily should still be home. Parked on the street outside the house was a military Humvee with two soldiers in it, the engine idling, waiting to take Emily and Angie to the outpost. Emily had never been a morning person either, though Jake was starting to become one thanks to Heather. By his best guess, it was after nine o'clock now.

_Someone had to be home, damn it. _Angie, Krissie and Tammy also stayed with Emily now; a regular girl's club. And Emily's house in the Pines had become a bit of a party spot according to the rumors he heard.

It had taken nearly an hour to catch two horses, put them in stalls in preparation for the trip tomorrow and check them out to make sure they were sound. The second horse he had caught had been favoring a foreleg a bit too much and he had had to trim his hooves, let him go and capture another horse instead. Now, Jake was sweaty and hot in addition to being angry. The long walk back to town taking the overland trails had done little to improve his mood. He had taken the time to double check on the Ravenwood roadblock to make sure Heather hadn't run into any trouble with the military contractors on the way back to town. Fortunately, the contractors were playing cards again and hadn't seen Jake as he walked around them.

The door to Emily's house slowly opened. Jake gritted his teeth and lifted his jaw, reminding himself not to yell and make a scene if it was Emily. Not with the military watching.

"Jake?" It was Emily who answered the door. She wore a cool summer dress and was made up, including lipstick and he thought he detected the scent of her usual perfume. He wondered if Major Williams was due for another visit. Emily usually didn't go all out typically. Was that a blast of cool air he felt coming from the house? Was Emily running her air conditioning against the edict? Her eyes glanced over his face and she must have guessed his mood. She tightened her lips together, her current distaste for him showing.

"We gotta go tomorrow. Same time." Jake told her quickly then turned to walk away. The last thing he wanted to do was to fight with Emily.

"Jake?" Emily called out. She took a quick step forward and grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Her fingers were cool against the hot skin of his arm. The front door closed behind her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He turned towards her to yank his arm away. He saw Emily raising her eyebrows questioningly. Then the dam began to burst, his anger breaking forth. Emily was probably to blame for some of this anyway. He jerked his arm out of her grasp. "All right, since you asked, what the hell did you say to Heather?"

"To Heather? About what?" Emily asked, looking confused.

"You told her something about what we're doing with Hawkins!" Jake yelled, trying to keep his voice down. The engine of the Humvee on the street was noisy. He hoped it would cover what they were saying.

"So, you two had a fight?" Emily cocked her head at him, her arms folding across her chest. Her expression looked curious with a touch of something more. Triumph? "I thought she already knew. She already knew some of it."

"I told you not to tell anyone!" Jake shouted at her, his voice louder than he meant. So Heather had figured out some of what was going on. Damn it. No doubt Emily had helped her along, unwittingly. Or not, he wondered. But how long had Heather known? He hadn't noticed any obvious signs, other than Heather withdrawing from him more lately. His attention caught on blinds being hastily closed from a window on the second floor of Emily's house. One of the other women that stayed with Emily must still be home, probably Angie.

"Not even Heather?" Emily looked like she was trying not to smile.

"Especially Heather!" Jake hissed, lowering his voice. He had warned Emily all along and even Hawkins had given her a lecture about the dangers they were facing and how serious it was. "I told you that people were being killed for what we know. You know how dangerous this is!"

"Jake, you can't keep secrets like this. She deserves to know what we're doing. You haven't even told me everything. If you really do care for her, you would tell her more." Emily chastised him. Jake wondered if Emily had talked to Eric or Stanley about this. Both of them had been on his case about keeping secrets, especially from Heather and his mother. But they had no idea about the kinds of secrets he was keeping. If they did, they wouldn't complain. "You never did used to tell me everything you were up to and you know what happened. And you wonder why I won't ever fully trust you again?"

"That happened long ago." The pain of Chris's death hit him again. Always, things seemed to come back to the same arguments between them. He had grown up since then, especially in the past year. He had good reasons to be keeping secrets now, right?

"You won't even tell me what it is that Hawkins has that's so important. The whole time I was with you two, you tiptoed around it using some code word calling it the package."

"I told you, it's proof that someone in Cheyenne was behind the bombs." Jake reminded her. He had told her this after Emily had hounded him on the entire trip home to tell her what they were really hiding.

"But what kind of proof? Documents? A witness? What?"

"I can't tell you."

"Then at least tell Heather, tell her what we're up to... if she is the one you think you're in love with." Emily spat at him, but Jake wasn't sure if it was a question, statement or accusation.

"I am in love with her!" Jake confessed and regretted the words immediately. He saw Emily's eyes widen with shock and hurt. She knew how hard it was for him to say those words. But the thought of Heather filled him with warmth and a rush of feelings, feelings he had slowly been getting used to over the past weeks... the knowledge of how much Heather meant to him. But the look of hurt on Heather's face flashed across his thoughts too. He might lose her after today. If only he could make her understand that he was just trying to keep her safe. Why couldn't Heather trust him?

"Then stop being an ass, Jake!" Emily retorted as she turned her back on him and began walking away.

He didn't want to hear condemnation, especially from Emily. She didn't understand. He had to protect Heather and all of them from what was going on. He didn't need Emily bringing their own relationship problems into it, least of all her jealousy. He needed to talk to Heather. Once he calmed down.

"Six a.m. tomorrow. And I don't wanna have to wait for you this time!" He shouted at her back before she disappeared back into the house. The last trip, Emily hadn't been ready, making him wait nearly an hour until they were able to walk out to the ranch to get the horses. He could have walked out to the ranch and gotten the horses in that time. Maybe this time he'd show up at her door with the horses. It was going to be a long ride out to Mingo where Emily's aunt lived, then up to the cabin where they would meet with Hawkins. With the current heat wave, it would be easier on them and the horses if they did most of the traveling during the cooler hours of the day.

Emily slammed her front door shut.

* * *

"Do you think you can close that without banging it every time?" Jake yelled across the room at Bill, who had been busy filing for the past half hour and had the annoying habit of slamming shut the drawers of the old file cabinet every time he did so.

There were a few nervous coughs then silence. Jake didn't even look up. The only sound was the quiet hum of the fan in the corner that was barely stirring up the air and not coming close to actually cooling anything. Periodically, it would stop whenever another brownout hit, shutting off the power and the few lights they had on with it. No one paid much notice to the power outages. They were all used to them now. But at least occasional power was better than none at all.

The simmering heat of the day made even City Hall unbearably hot. It was barely cooler inside than out. Jake sat in the open area of the sheriff's office going over charter ledgers and reports as others worked on police business at the nearby desks. Piles of paper covered the desk in front of him. Despite the windows all being open in City Hall, he didn't worry that a gust of wind would come along and scatter his papers. There had been little to no wind all day so far, which meant that power was going to be a problem again tonight when people got home for dinner. Brownouts were commonplace and they were starting to have hours without power now, especially in the late afternoon and evenings.

Jake's head was pounding and not just from the heat. He rubbed his forehead and felt the dampness of sweat. Numbers swam in front of his eyes. He refocused on the ledger in front of him, regretting that he had skipped most math classes in high school and had only barely passed the necessary mathematics classes at Embry thanks to a tutor. The ledger had included numbers such as trends and other statistics. It might as well have been gibberish, even though he had a legend and summary report that spelled out what the numbers meant. One of their accountants had been big on statistics but had promised to fix the numbers so that they looked credible and didn't show the true success the charter had been thus far. Productivity had improved in Jericho since the charter had been put in place but they didn't want the government to necessarily know that. But it was still too early to tell how well the charter was working. There had been some complaints and issues with it so far and some abuses as well as a few kinks to work out. It wasn't a perfect system and there were times when Jake wondered if it was even worth it. They could just go back to waiting for the government to fix everything.

Footsteps approached him.

"Jake, will you go out to the Grendeski's and complete this complaint form with them?" Jimmy asked him, breaking his concentration. The new acting sheriff of Jericho hovered over Jake holding a piece of paper. Like the rest of the deputies, Jimmy had been dressing down and wore shorts and a short sleeve Jericho police uniform shirt. Jake vaguely recognized it as an older uniform from back in the Eighties. He wondered where Jimmy had found it. "Her nephew came by the rations center this morning and said that Ravenwood had been snooping around their yard the other day."

Tempers were also running high as were the number of complaints. Jake's temper especially. He didn't have time for this.

"Why don't they come in and file the complaint?" Jake grumbled, glancing at Jimmy then looking back down at the ledger in front of him. It was standard procedure for people to come into the sheriff's office to file a complaint and get interviewed in case there were any other facts that needed to go into the report. They would follow up complaints with an investigation if required to see if any criminal activity had taken place. If Ravenwood was involved, they would add to the growing list of issues Gray and Eric reviewed each week with Lt. Brady and Goetz.

"She's in a wheelchair?" Jimmy reminded Jake as he inched the paper closer to Jake. Jake eyed the report form and saw some hastily notes made on the form where someone had begun to fill it out already.

"Then ask Eric to do it." He belatedly remembered Mrs. Grendeski and her young nephew who was taking care of her. Mrs. Grendeski had been paralyzed in a car accident back when Jake had been in high school. Her house was next to the old Thompon house, the one that Robert Hawkins had purchased and lived in... and where he had hid the package for several months. Why would Ravenwood be checking out nearby properties? Looking for conspiracies most likely, knowing Goetz.

"He's still not back from the military outpost." Since he had been running late, Jake had missed the bi-weekly morning meeting with Lt. Brady, Larry Stevens, Jimmy, Eric and Goetz. Eric was acting mayor while Gray was in Cheyenne. Thus, Lt. Brady had asked Eric to come down to the outpost to meet with a government accountant and go over their charter report numbers. "And he's busy with mayor stuff."

"Send Tyler to do it." Jake threw back, glancing at the young deputy who eyed him cautiously from behind the typewriter as he typed up last week's incident report. The tapping of the typewriter had been driving Jake nuts all morning, the noise adding to his headache.

"I want you to do it." Jimmy looked uncomfortable but his voice was strong as he met Jake's eyes. This was an order. Jake had been the one who had told Jimmy that he needed to stand up and be in charge.

Jake glanced around the sheriff's office and saw eyes look away before they met his. Bill, Tyler Stevens, and the new deputy-in-training Ricky Smith were working in the office that day. They had been avoiding him like the plague, probably since he had been angry all day. For lunch, he had munched on one of the egg sandwiches Margaret Taylor had made for the group of them and continued pouring over the charter reports and ledgers that still covered the desk in front of him, making sure that the numbers looked fudged enough that the government wouldn't get too suspicious if they came looking for more detailed data. They had been adjusting the numbers to make it look like they weren't as prosperous as they really were, in hopes that the Cheyenne government wouldn't ask for much more supplies and trade goods from Jericho. But still, Jake worried about what was happening down at the military outpost with Eric's meeting. Would the government ask more of them? Would Eric have the guts to mention the problems they had been having with Ravenwood with Lt. Brady or anyone else there?

Ravenwood. Heather. The barn, the tears in Heather's eyes. Heather running away.

His thoughts kept running in circles, making it hard for him to concentrate. He had been argumentative all morning. The deputies, including the new sheriff Jimmy, had been giving him a wide berth all day so far. His eyes came to rest on the piece of paper Jimmy was holding out to him. Jimmy probably wanted him out from underfoot.

"All right. But tell Eric I need to talk to him about Ravenwood when he gets back." Jake snapped the complaint form out of Jimmy's hand, much like Ravenwood had yanked his id paper from him that morning He cringed to himself and strode out of the sheriff's office and out of City Hall. He could have sworn he heard sighs of relief as he left.

The temperature on the thermometer just outside City Hall read 98 degrees and it was in the shade..

The sun was still shining bright high in the sky. As he walked down the street, Jake could feel the afternoon heat roiling up from the concrete sidewalks. It had been cooler inside City Hall, but not by much. The heat was doing little to calm his temper. The air was still and muggy and the lone wind turbine near City Hall was barely turning, thus why they were having brownouts. Main Street was mostly empty and he could see and feel why. It was the peak of the afternoon and it was blazing hot. Most people were likely working indoors or had gone swimming or on one of the field trips to the mines or area caves. He should have been working at the rations center this afternoon like he had intended, but he couldn't stomach the thought of having to be nice and courteous with the workers they had there, mostly teenagers and older residents of Jericho who supervised them. That and the news that government was looking at their charter reports had sent him into a panic, worried that they might find something wrong. He had also intended to spend the afternoon swimming with Heather, but that red handkerchief on the barn door had changed that too. To say that his day was not going as planned was an understatement.

_Heather_...

She would be down at the plant working and probably doing too much as usual. He could see her working alongside Ted and the other plant workers. Most of the workers were men, some of them single and a few responsible ones who had come in as refugees and were just biding their times until things returned to normal and they could get back to their careers and lives elsewhere. He had seen the way some of them watched and looked at Heather. Maybe Heather would be better off with one of them or even Ted; men who didn't have questionable pasts like he did, or who were involved in plots hiding nuclear bombs and trying to bring down the new federal government with a man who was number one on their Top Ten Wanted list.

_Heather had found out about Hawkins..._

He didn't want to think about the implications of that. He would have to come up with a better story to explain it away. Or just ask Heather to trust him again. Heather might not have been so upset if they hadn't had trouble with Ravenwood.

_Ravenwood_...

In his mind, he kept going over what had happened that morning with Ravenwood and Heather; the rude things the Ravenwood men had said, pride in the way Heather had dealt with the men.

He had thought that the encounter with Ravenwood had been bad enough but then everything had all gone downhill from there as soon as he had seen the handkerchief tied to the barn door... the look of hurt and anger on Heather's face, Heather not trusting him and not understanding what was really going on and his strong belief that he couldn't tell her either. Why couldn't Heather understand and believe in him? He wasn't sure what hurt more, the look of hurt on Heather's face or her lack of trust. Or maybe it was just all mixed up with the frustration and anguish that was churning inside him now... the feeling that things were unsettled and not right.

Maybe it was a sign that once again, he wasn't meant to have a real relationship. Emily had taught him that. Maybe it would be better if he and Heather were not involved, though his heart pounded at the thought. Heather was the best thing that had happened to him in a long time, if in his entire life when he thought about it. He didn't want to lose her or lose the happiness they shared at being together. But was he making too much of their relationship? Did Heather still believe in him, especially after his sordid past? Would she still believe in him if he told her the truth or what it be too much for her to believe as well? Could she put up with his living on the edge of danger, his questioning of authority, his tendency to get into trouble? What would happen to them if things returned to normal once they had a working economy and government and normal relationships with the rest of the state and country again? What would Jake do?

He couldn't take that risk, not of losing Heather, not of losing the faith of the one person that did seem to believe in him. He would just have to make her understand and trust him still. He needed that from her.

On his way out of town, Jake passed the new military recruitment office right next door to the offices they had turned over to Ravenwood. The offices had the only vehicles parked on the street nowadays, with military Humvees and several of the Ravenwood black Hummers taking up the parking spots which used to be hard to find before the bombs went off. It was rare to see any vehicles parked on Main Street unless it was the military or a few of the vehicles that had been converted to run on ethanol. Now, it was common to see horses and wagons parked and moving up and down the streets of Jericho.

The two offices looked nearly identical. The New America flag hung in the windows from both offices along with the Ravenwood logo in the window of the Ravenwood office. Gray had turned over two of the row offices on Main Street that had belonged to a boutique and an antique shop over to the two, not that Jake or Eric had been happy about either. Both offices were crammed with desks, computers, with all sorts of posters and other propaganda on the walls. The recruiting office even had a working television and DVD player they used to show recruitment videos. Goetz had an office in the back of the Ravenwood office and even had living quarters upstairs for himself and some of his contractors. Currently, the doors to both places were wide open and both looked mostly empty of people but Jake saw Goetz talking to one of his Ravenwood men inside their office. He was tempted to go and yell at Goetz for what had happened that morning at the roadblock, but he wasn't sure he could do that without punching the man. Not in his current frame of mind. There was typically a number of Ravenwood men coming and going at all hours, so it was odd to see the office so deserted. Perhaps with the heat of the day, Goetz had sent them out on patrol or back to the camp they had set up near the military outpost. Goetz had also requested accomodations in town for the rest of his men, such as at the community center or high school, but Eric had convinced Gray Anderson to postpone making that decision until he was back from Cheyenne.

Goetz saw Jake passing by and gave him a mock salute. He and Jake had exchanged barbs off and on in the recent weeks. Jake wasn't sure what the score was anymore, but felt like he was still on the losing end since he couldn't say much more about Ravenwood without looking like he was against the military and government. And Goetz was still busy trying to tie Jake to Robert Hawkins. If only Goetz knew...

Maybe Jake could get back at Goetz with Heather's tape. He could talk to Colonel Hoffman about it once he had the tape. Then again, maybe he should let Eric handle it. Colonel Hoffman might see it as Jake being not supportive of the government and their descisions. Cursing under his breath, Jake kept walking.

It had been a long day already. He had been trying to keep himself busy and distracted all day so far and was failing miserably. All he could think about was the look on Heather's face when he had to tell her yet again that he couldn't tell her the truth about what was going on and the way she had run off crying and confused. He was miserable and frustrated. And Emily calling him an ass only made him more angry. He would have hoped Emily would have understood, knowing the dangerous things they were up to, but no, Emily seemed to be taking Heather's side on this. Couldn't he trust anyone anymore? Hawkins had said this was going to be difficult. Jake was learning that he was right.

Jake kept walking.

(To be continued...)


End file.
